1. The government of the Republic of Korea held the second meeting of the committee on the operation of the Global Disease Eradication Fund on September 28. In the meeting, chaired by Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, participants deliberated and set strategies for implementing the Fund’s new projects over the next five years, from 2017 to 2021.

o The ROK government’s support to be provided through the Fund in line with the strategies will be focused on helping countries with a high burden of communicable diseases, including sub-Saharan African countries, strengthen their communicable disease management systems, and prevent and eradicate major communicable diseases, including neglected tropical diseases, waterborne diseases, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, as well as strengthening knowledge management systems and partnerships regarding communicable diseases in developing countries.

o In the second meeting of the committee, participants also discussed the results of the deliberation on the budget for the 2018 fund operation plan and follow-up measures, and the progress in conducting education and training programs aimed at building domestic NGOs’ capacities to implement communicable disease-related projects.

2. The committee on the operation of the Global Disease Eradication Fund, which was set up after the Global Disease Eradication Fund Act entered into force on January 1, 2017, consists of ten members, including officials from the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, and the Korea International Cooperation Agency, as well as four experts from the private sector -- Chairman of the Korea NGO Council for Overseas Development Cooperation Park Yong-joon, SBS senior journalist Kim In-gee, Professor Han Seung-mi at Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies, and Professor Lee Hee-young at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital.

3. The Global Disease Eradication Fund raises financial resources through the system in which 1,000 KRW is levied on each international flight passenger departing from the ROK. The system is commonly known as “Air Ticket Solidarity Levy” in the international community.

4. Utilizing the Fund, an example of “innovative financing for development” which complements existing official development assistance (ODA), the ROK government will continue to contribute to the international community’s efforts to achieve sustainable development goals and the protection of the health of Koreans by supporting the activities of international organizations and NGOs in the healthcare sector to strengthen developing countries’ capacities for disease prevention and eradication, and healthcare and medical services.


* unofficial translation