화해분위기 속 남북 보건의료협력 확대, 체계화 필요: 국내 의료 전문가들
Speaking of public health, untold numbers of people in North Korea lack access to basic nutrition and medical care.
That's why experts here in Seoul say both governments need to make health a priority.
Oh Soo-young reports.
Amid the two Koreas' efforts to build peace on the peninsula,... medical experts in the South have stressed the importance of addressing public health in the North.
"There's a gap of 11 to 12 years in terms of life expectancy between South and North Koreans, despite coming from the same gene pool."
Over 10 million North Koreans, nearly half the population,... are believed to be malnourished, according to the World Health Organisation.
The reclusive state has also seen one of the most severe outbreaks of tuberculosis in the world.
Experts say this is hardly surprising as most North Koreans lack proper medical care.
"Chronic nutritional deficiency starts at an early age and the level of intensity hugely varies by region. Some areas are extremely out of reach when it comes to nutritional support, and the most vulnerable targets of regional and economic exclusion are children."
South Korea has provided medical assistance to the North in the past, supporting nutritional and emergency care, and setting up hospitals.
But as cross-border tensions grew from the late 2000s,.... with further global sanctions placed against Pyongyang's nuclear programme, direct medical exchanges have mostly stalled.
International organisations such as the WHO have also seen funding shortages,... and the Global Fight against AIDS, TB and Malaria suddenly announced it would halt its programs in the North this year.
"Current economic sanctions make it difficult for medical aid to reach the North -- finding ships that will deliver supplies. Banking restrictions mean supplies cannot be bought there. So even if sanctions are in place, the international community should ensure doors are open to humanitarian aid and protection of the most vulnerable -- particularly children. Also, we need inter-Korean cooperation. Civic groups provide medication for TB, but this has given rise to drug-resistant types. So we need to address the problem between our governments and professionals to foster a healthy community of people on the Peninsula."
Professor Shin said health should be a non-partisan and permanent area of cooperation,... citing how a treaty on public health was one of the first legal steps toward German Reunification.
A similar commitment, he said, could help the two Koreas build a medical safety net and respond to challenges together.
Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.
