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Health Dialogue Held to Strengthen Healthcare Cooperation Between Korea and the UK

 

 

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, Minister Cho KyooHong) announced that the 1st Korea-UK Health Dialogue was held on Monday, December 2, at 4 p.m. in Seoul.

 

This dialogue was based on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Healthcare Cooperation, signed by the two countries in August last year to mark the 140th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. The MOU builds on a longstanding partnership in healthcare and medical research, encompassing joint studies and researcher exchanges.

 

The Korean delegation, led by Park MinSoo, 2nd Vice Minister of MOHW, included officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI). The UK delegation was represented by senior officials including Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary at the UK Department of Health, and Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser.

 

During the health dialogue, the two countries ？ reviewed the outcomes of their collaboration in healthcare research and development, ？ examined achievements in strengthening health security against emerging infectious diseases, and ？ shared key best practices for improving public health while exploring ways to enhance future cooperation.

 

<Session 1: Korea-UK Healthcare R&D Collaboration>

Both countries reviewed the progress of ongoing healthcare R&D collaborations and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening these efforts. Discussions included the newly launched Korea-UK Smart Clinical Trials International Joint Research Partnership (involving Korea's KHIDI and the Korea National Enterprise for Clinical Trials, and the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Research). The two sides expressed their hopes for the successful implementation of joint research projects and discussed potential new initiatives. Korea also introduced the newly launched Korean ARPA-H (Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health)*, an innovative and challenging R&D initiative launched this year to address critical health issues, and explored opportunities for collaboration with the UK’s ARIA (Advanced Research and Invention Agency).

 

* A mission-driven R&D initiative, benchmarked against ARPA-H, the U.S. innovation research and development framework for healthcare, tailored to the domestic research environment to address national challenges such as the next pandemic and super-aging society

 

<Session 2: Achievements and Opportunities in Korea-UK Health Security Cooperation>

Next, the two countries reviewed their collaborative achievements in responding to public health crises, including emerging infectious diseases, climate change, One Health, and antimicrobial resistance. They agreed to bolster partnerships in health security, including by facilitating expert exchanges and hosting forums.

 

<Session 3: Sharing Best Practices in Key Health Issues (Cardiovascular Diseases and Smoking Cessation)>

Furthermore, both countries shared best practices related to cardiovascular diseases and smoking cessation, which directly affect public health and quality of life. Korea presented its comprehensive prevention and management policies for underlying diseases, as well as its timely response system for severe cardiovascular diseases through a clinical cooperation network. The UK introduced its ambitious smoking cessation policy, aiming to create the world’s first smoke-free generation. The discussion provided valuable policy insights for tackling major health challenges.

 

Park MinSoo, 2nd Vice Minister of MOHW, emphasized the importance of strong international solidarity and collaboration in response to escalating global health inequities caused by recurring public health crises, such as emerging infectious diseases. He stated, “I hope the first Korea-UK Health Dialogue marks the beginning of new horizons in healthcare cooperation between our two nations and serves as a meaningful step toward reducing global health inequality and achieving universal health coverage.” ///