Dr Dame Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dr Eunkyeong Jeong, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

The areas of mutual interest for cooperation under this MoU include public health emergency preparedness and response; surveillance and control of epidemic-prone diseases, including viral haemorrhagic fevers; laboratory capacity-building and enhancement to detect and respond to emerging disease threats of global health importance; antimicrobial resistance and healthcare associated infection control; vaccine-preventable diseases and immunisations policy; pathogen information and resource; and public health training and experts exchange.

The 2 organisations will exchange best practice, pursue joint scientific programmes and research projects, and subsequently publish findings as appropriate.

As part of this MoU, UKHSA and KDCA will engage in an annual or bi-annual policy dialogue, host regular consultations to explore potential areas of bilateral cooperation, and establish mutually beneficial scientific training opportunities, such as a personnel exchange programme between the parties.