Improving women's and children's health in DPRK

Shin, Young-Jeon

Erratum

Published online July 15, 2008.

Improving women's and children's health in DPRK" project funded by the Republic of Korea"

Young-Jeon Shin

Department of Preventive Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

현재 진행되고 있는 남북한 의료협력사업 : 영유아 지원 사업을 중심으로

신영전

한양대학교 의과대학 예방의학교실

Correspondence:
Young-Jeon Shin, Email: yshin@hanyang.ac.kr

Abstract

The economic recession of North Korea has been prolonged, the need for humanitarian assistance for the women and children of DPRK has been raised. In March 2006, South Korean government signed MOU with World Health Organization (WHO) to financially support "Improving Women's and Children's Health in DPRK (IWCH)" project. The assistance projects through UNICEF and the non-government organizations of South Korea were also followed. IWCH project consists of three parts; nutrition, disease management, children and maternity care. The first term (2006-2007) of the project leading by WHO was finished, and the second term (2008-2010) is just begun. The projects driven by NGOs have relatively been delayed due to difficulties in negotiating on project contents and places with North Korea. Recently, however, re-modeling processes of an obstetric/gynecology hospital and a children hospital in Nampo were started. Up to recently, South Korean government has played only a limited role in the humanitarian assistance for North Korea. IWCH project is, however, a full-scale initiative driven by government based on a systematic review of need and priorities. A significant amount of budget and relatively long term (five year) project compare to the previous short term and small size programs were expected to make more meaningful achievement. Despite these positive aspects, the project remains a list of unsolved problems a lack of mutual trust, a different decision making process between South and North Korea, a lack of conflict management process, and unpredictability and complexity of international politics. In spite of such kind of political uncertainty, the health care sector will be a leading area in the process of improving relationship between South and North Korea, particularly, humanitarian assistance for women and children will play a crucial role in the process. The successful implementation of IWCH project, therefore, will contribute to provide the reference model in developing the mutually constructive relationship between South and North Korea.

Key Words: children and maternity care. The first term (2006-2007) of the project leading by WHO was finished