The government decided to promote the disease management headquarters to the independent'Chung' from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and to establish a'disease response center' for each area under the Ministry of Health and Welfare to strengthen the comprehensive response to infectious diseases including Corona 19.

In addition, the Ministry of Health and Welfare introduced a new loan for the health sector and introduced a dual loan system to dualize with the welfare sector.

On the 3rd, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security announced plans to reorganize the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention while enforcing legislation to amend the government organizational law.

The reorganization plan is based on the announcement made by President Moon Jae-in on the 10th anniversary of his inaugural speech on the 10th of last month.

This reflects the intention of strengthening the ability to respond to infectious diseases by strengthening the independence and expertise of the Center for Disease Control in the long-term of the corona 19 crisis.

The core content is to promote the disease management headquarters, which is currently a subordinate agency belonging to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, to the'Disease Management Office'.

When the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is promoted to the Agency, it can independently exercise its powers related to budget, personnel, and organization as an independent central administrative agency.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention was created in January 2004 with the reorganization of the National Institutes of Health, following the prevalence of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome).

After the MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) incident, it was upgraded to vice-minister level in January 2016, but it had difficulties in researching infectious diseases and expanding professional manpower due to lack of independent budget and personnel rights.

When the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention solves this problem, it is expected that it will be able to carry out functions for establishing and enforcing policies related to infectious diseases with more practical authority.

The Korea Institute for Disease Control and Prevention carries out various investigations, research, and projects related to disease management under the authority of the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

As a regional organization under the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Center for Disease Control (tentative name) is established for each region.

The Center for Disease Response performs the epidemiological investigations and disease investigations and analysis on a regional basis, and is responsible for supporting local community prevention.

This regional response system will be promoted along with measures to strengthen the functions of local governments such as the Metropolitan and Provincial Health and Environment Research Institute and the municipal, county, and district health centers.

The government expected that through the promotion of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the expertise in policy-making related to infectious diseases will be increased and decisions can be made more quickly.
The welfare department organization is also reorganized.

By adding one loan position, we introduce a multiple loan system with two loans, one for each in welfare and health.

The first vice minister is in charge of planning and coordination and welfare, while the newly established second vice minister is in charge of health.

Considering the order of the 1st and 2nd loan, it should be the'Ministry of Welfare and Health', but the name of the Ministry of Health and Welfare is retained in consideration of administrative confusion.

In addition, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases and the Center for Infectious Diseases have been expanded and reorganized.

Through this, we plan to strengthen the nation's ability to research infectious diseases by establishing a response system that covers the entire process, from monitoring infectious diseases to developing and commercializing therapeutics and vaccines.

Although the Korea Agency for Disease Control and Prevention is independent according to the reorganization plan, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Management Agency will respond together in a crisis situation in which national capacities must be gathered through the spread of infectious diseases nationwide, such as Corona19.

In addition, some infectious disease-related functions remain in the Ministry of Welfare to promote efficient work.

This includes functions that are necessary to cooperate with various ministries, such as prohibition of export of goods necessary for prevention, prevention, treatment of infectious diseases, compensation for losses incurred in medical institutions in response to infectious diseases, or functions closely related to the health care system.

In addition, the long-term, tissue, and blood management functions currently in charge of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are transferred to the Ministry of Health and Welfare in consideration of the linkage with health and medical resource management and health projects.

The government plans to quickly complete the legislative process so that related laws can be fully discussed at the 21st National Assembly, which will be opened soon after the government announced the proposed amendment to the government organization law.

Minister of Government Administration and Home Affairs Jinyoung Jang said, "We ask for special attention and active cooperation from the National Assembly so that the amendment can be deliberated and passed through quickly." I will establish a response system.”

(Photo = Yonhap News TV capture, Yonhap News)