National Institute of Health, Designated as WHO Collaborating Center for Antibiotic Resistance

On the 29th, Kwon Jun-wook, Director of the National Institute of Health (third from the right), and others held a plaque ceremony for the World Health Organization Antimicrobial Resistance Collaboration Center and took a commemorative photo. (Provided by Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency)

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] The National Institute of Health under the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has been designated as a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance and Quality Assessment (Antimicrobial Resistance field).

The National Institute of Health announced on the 30th that it held a plaque ceremony on the 29th following its designation as a WHO 'Collaborating Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Standards and One Health Research.' Accordingly, the Antimicrobial Resistance Research Division of the National Institute of Health will serve as a WHO Collaborating Centre for four years until February 2025.

The WHO Collaborating Centres are international cooperative organizations organized by WHO by selecting specialized institutions in each field to carry out international health projects. In the antimicrobial resistance field, 20 collaborating centres worldwide were designated as of last year to ensure the successful implementation of the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (WHO GLASS). They perform tasks such as developing surveillance manuals, supporting laboratory testing techniques, operating education and training programs, and supporting quality assessment programs.

Since joining WHO GLASS in 2016, the National Institute of Health has designed and operated the national antimicrobial resistance surveillance system (Kor-GLASS) that meets international standards. Based on this, it was recognized for its achievements in providing high-quality national antimicrobial resistance information and was designated as a collaborating centre in the antimicrobial resistance field.

Building on this experience and achievement, the National Institute of Health plans to continuously support capacity development for member countries participating in WHO GLASS. The specific scope of activities will be decided in consultation with the WHO headquarters and the Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO).

Kwon Jun-wook, Director of the National Institute of Health, said, "The National Institute of Health will strengthen international cooperation with countries in the Asia-Pacific region as a member of the international health community and play a leading role in overcoming the global antimicrobial resistance crisis."

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