Disease Control Agency Allocates 1.6 Trillion Won Budget for Next Year... 45% Decrease from This Year

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced on the 31st that it has allocated a budget of 1.6213 trillion won for next year. This is a 45.0% (1.3257 trillion won) decrease compared to this year.

First, the KDCA will strengthen the continuous infectious disease prevention and management system. In particular, due to the expansion of mosquito habitats caused by climate change and the activation of overseas travel, the risk of mosquito-borne infectious diseases (such as malaria and dengue fever) entering the country is increasing, so the surveillance system will be expanded.

On the 23rd, the screening clinic set up at the Yongsan-gu Public Health Center in Seoul showed a quiet scene as the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced that it would downgrade the COVID-19 infectious disease classification from level 2 to level 4 starting on the 31st. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

To strengthen malaria management, the designated malaria risk areas will be expanded from the existing 30 cities, counties, and districts in Gyeonggi, Incheon, and Gangwon to about 50 cities, counties, and districts including Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, and Gangwon, and the budget has been increased by 600 million won compared to the previous year. Additionally, a new budget of 250 million won has been allocated to proactively detect dengue fever patients among overseas entrants at the quarantine stage.

To maintain continuous response to statutory infectious diseases (89 types) and emerging infectious diseases, support for materials and equipment costs for local governments will continue to enable joint testing systems with local governments.

Also, as COVID-19 has been reclassified as a level 4 infectious disease, a budget has been allocated for vaccination and treatment purchases focusing on preventing severe cases and deaths among high-risk groups such as those aged 65 and older and immunocompromised individuals. Regarding vaccination, costs for vaccination site support and the introduction of new vaccines have been allocated. For treatments, necessary expenses until the stable transition to the health insurance system are covered by national funds to minimize public inconvenience.

Furthermore, to ensure early containment of emerging infectious disease outbreaks and secure sustainability in response, investments will be made in infrastructure. The budget for operating and managing the comprehensive situation room and upgrading infrastructure to strengthen infectious disease crisis detection capabilities will be expanded, and ongoing costs for establishing regional infectious disease specialized hospitals will also be reflected. Financial projects will be promoted not only for early containment of outbreaks but also for rapid and sustainable infectious disease response.

The KDCA will continue financial investments to address chronic diseases and non-infectious health risks arising from social and environmental changes such as aging.

Ji Young-mi, Commissioner of the KDCA, stated, "Based on the essential budget for responding to statutory infectious diseases overall and non-infectious health risks such as chronic diseases, we will establish highly complete disease management policies that the public can feel."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.