Engaging the international community during the 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak in the Republic of Korea

Authors

  • Minwon Lee Division of International Cooperation, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Sejong, Republic of Korea
  • Hoohee Nam Division of International Cooperation, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Sejong, Republic of Korea
  • Sun-Gyu Lee Division of International Cooperation, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Sejong, Republic of Korea
  • Ok Park International Cooperation Task Force on MERS outbreak response, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea
  • Youngmee Jee International Cooperation Task Force on MERS outbreak response, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea
  • Kidong Park Country Support Unit, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5365/wpsar.2015.6.4.003

Abstract

The recent Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak in the Republic of Korea, which started with an imported case1 and spread throughout the country with a total of 186 cases,2 revealed the vulnerabilities of the health care system of the Republic of Korea. The situation was compounded by unique health care settings of the Republic of Korea, including crowded emergency departments, the custom of having many hospital visitors and seeking care at multiple hospitals.3 To assist with the outbreak response, the Ministry of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea hosted several international missions, which provided information about MERS and also recommendations for future prevention efforts. This paper presents the outcomes of these missions and shows their benefit.

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Published

01-02-2016

How to Cite

1.
Lee M, Nam H, Lee S-G, Park O, Jee Y, Park K. Engaging the international community during the 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak in the Republic of Korea. Western Pac Surveill Response J [Internet]. 2016 Feb. 1 [cited 2026 Mar. 30];7(1). Available from: https://ojs.wpro.who.int/ojs/index.php/wpsar/article/view/401

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2016): January – March

Section

Brief Report

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