Ewha Womans UniversityInstitute for Development and Human Security

As seen in the case of COVID-19 that struck the whole world with the horror of infectious diseases, the SARS and MERS outbreak after the 2000s, and the ongoing cases of Ebola since its first confirmed case in 1976, for us living in a global era, the health problem of a country is no longer just a problem of that country, but a serious problem that can threaten the health of people around the world. Especially in developing countries without health care systems for the prevention or proper treatment of diseases, and clean water or sanitation systems, the damage caused by diseases is even greater. In addition to infectious diseases, people are killed or injured by war or terrorism, infrastructures are destroyed and they do not receive proper treatment when necessary. Recently the earth’s temperature has been rising due to pollution and climate change, and the effects of heat waves, extreme cold, and typhoons have been greater than before, putting the health of people worldwide at greater risk.

Through rapid socio-economic development, the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as Korea) has succeeded in becoming an advanced country. Immediately after the Korean War, Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. According to the Korea Development Institute (KDI), Korea received official aid from the international community from 1945 to 1999 amounted to about $13 billion. Without humanitarian aid from the international community, especially the health and medical support that amounted to about $428 million from 1959 to 1999, many people would not have been able to get back on their feet due to illness and injury. Taking this experience as a stepping stone, Korea is currently providing health and medical support to many developing countries around the world, and the Institute for Development and Human Security at Ewha Womans University is also providing generous support through research and policy proposals.

With the advancement of medical technology, many diseases are now treatable. Still, threats to health such as infectious diseases, chronic illnesses, climate change, environmental pollution, war, and terrorism remain fundamentally unresolved. It is crucial to pay significant attention so Korea can lead in health and medical aid.

For detailed information on global health cooperation, please refer to the 'Global Health Cooperation and Gender' page on our research institute's website.

Link: www.globalhealthaid.com