Local Governments to Cover Tuberculosis Screening Costs for School and Daycare Staff

Legal Basis Established for Evaluation of Proper Antibiotic Use in Medical Institutions
Definition of 'Suspected Infectious Disease Case' Clarified

Going forward, the cost of tuberculosis screening at mandatory inspection institutions such as hospitals, clinics, and schools will be subsidized.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced on May 8 that an amendment to the “Tuberculosis Prevention Act” containing these provisions was passed at the National Assembly plenary session the previous day.

The amendment provides the legal basis for mandatory institutions for tuberculosis and latent tuberculosis screening to subsidize all or part of the expenses for tuberculosis tests for their staff and related personnel. Currently, these mandatory institutions include medical institutions, postpartum care centers, schools, kindergartens, daycare centers, and child welfare facilities.

The KDCA expects that, with this financial support in place, the heads of each institution and school will be able to reduce the financial burden of screening for staff and faculty members.

At the plenary session the previous day, another amendment was also passed: the amendment to the “Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act,” which establishes a legal basis for the management of antibiotic usage in medical institutions and clarifies the definition of suspected infectious disease cases.

The amendment strengthens the management system for antibiotic use and resistance, and stipulates the legal basis for the management and evaluation of antibiotic usage in medical institutions as part of the existing measures for managing resistant bacteria. It also establishes the basis for the pilot project on the proper management of antibiotic usage, which has been underway since November 2024.

To prevent the spread of infectious diseases, the definition of “suspected infectious disease case” subject to hospitalization or isolation has also been clarified. Previously, a suspected case was defined as “a person who has been in contact or is suspected to have been in contact.” Now, the definition will specify contact and epidemiological association during the transmission period, and will include: “infectious disease patient,” “suspected infectious disease patient,” and “a person who has been in contact with or has epidemiological association with an infectious disease patient, suspected patient, or pathogen carrier during the period when transmission is possible, and is therefore at risk of infection.”

A new provision was also added regarding the duty to notify when the hospitalization or isolation of a suspected infectious disease case is lifted, as well as a provision for redress in cases where isolation is not lifted without just cause.

Im Seungkwan, Commissioner of the KDCA, stated, “This legal revision is significant in that it both strengthens the foundation for antibiotic management and provides a clear safeguard for protecting citizens’ fundamental rights that could be restricted in the course of responding to infectious diseases. Moving forward, we will enhance the antibiotic resistance management system and ensure procedural legitimacy in quarantine measures, so that we can develop policies that the public can trust.”

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