On Thursday, October 24, Dr. Youngmee Jee, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), met with Professor Marc Lipsitch from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health at the KDCA.

 Professor Lipsitch’s visit, initiated at his request, facilitated in-depth discussions on how the KDCA can strengthen collaboration with academic institutions and the private sector. The conversation focused on enhancing pandemic preparedness, particularly by leveraging infectious disease modeling.

During the meeting, the KDCA highlighted key initiatives undertaken over the course of the four years and three months of the COVID-19 pandemic. These efforts included the development of prediction models, the establishment of an integrated information system, and the introduction of a wastewater surveillance system.

In turn, Professor Lipsitch shared valuable lessons gained during the pandemic, covering areas such as public health surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, and effective communication strategies. This meeting provided both sides with an excellent opportunity to exchange knowledge and explore new approaches.

Commissioner Dr. Jee emphasized, “To advance Korea’s modeling capabilities, we will continue to strengthen our collaboration with the global academic community, along with ongoing communication with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”