Ensuring Heathy Lives with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency: Partnership with the Korean Diabetes Association
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Diabetes is a major chronic disease affecting approximately 6 million people in Korea. If we also include those with prediabetes, more than half of all adults are affected by diabetes. The growing number of young individuals diagnosed with diabetes underscores the need for dedicated efforts from the government, extending beyond individual patient care to ensure longterm management and to minimize the risk of complications. To protect people from chronic diseases, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has implemented a range of tailored policies, focusing on the unique characteristics of each chronic disease. These policies include operating noncommunicable diseases surveillance, developing prevention and control guidelines, promoting early diagnosis and continued treatment, conducting research to generate evidencebased practices, establishing a platform on information, and training of healthcare professionals.
The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which was initiated in 1998, is a nationwide survey led by the KDCA, aimed at producing national statistics on the health status and behaviors of the Korean population. According to the 2021 survey, among 6 million people with diabetes in Korea, only 3.7 million (62.4%) have received treatment. In addition, the Korea Community Health Survey provides health and nutrition indicators at the city, county, and district levels, specifically regarding the diagnosis rate of diabetes and awareness of blood sugar levels. The survey results are crucial in setting goals for diabetes prevention and control projects and for evaluating their effectiveness and outcomes.
The KDCA is also responsible for developing and disseminating guidelines based on scientific evidence produced by various surveys. A committee for developing chronic diseases guidelines, comprised of multidisciplinary experts, has been formed. Two sets of guidelines are being developed in consideration of the applicability in healthcare environment: (1) clinical practice guidelines for primary care providers and (2) daily precautions for patients and the general public.
The KDCA has been working to promote public awareness of the importance of early clinical diagnosis and continued treatment in managing chronic diseases. The KDCA also operates registry programs for hypertension and diabetes by providing financial support to registered patients for medical expenses. Registered patients are assisted in self-monitoring of their conditions and adherence to a healthy diet and exercise through education and consultations.
Moreover, September is designated as the month for nationwide campaigns focusing on preventing cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. This campaign aims to raise awareness on early recognition and timely care for hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia to prevent severe cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. To build healthier local communities, the KDCA provides training opportunities for professionals in the field of chronic disease prevention and control at the local level and operates an online platform where the public can access health information, education, and advocacy materials.
To mark the third anniversary of the KDCA, we have set a new slogan: “Ensuring healthy lives with KDCA, your most trusted partner.” This demonstrates the KDCA’s crucial role in public health. With this new slogan, the KDCA will continue its efforts to protect people from public health threats. We will implement evidence-based public health policies to accomplish our critical mission, in close partnership with the Korean Diabetes Association and key partners.
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CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.