KOFIH Launched 「International Advisory Committee」

- Appointed Prof. Vivian Lin of HKU as Chairperson and congratulatory lecture delivered -

□ The Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (President Chang-yup Kim, hereinafter “KOFIH”) launched the International Advisory Committee (hereinafter “IAC”) and appointed 10 international advisors at Dr. Lee Jong-wook Hall located in the KOFIH office building on November 14 (Monday). It aims to keep expanding and facilitating communication and network corresponding to the ever-growing international healthcare cooperation in the wake of the COVID-19. □ To represent regional and sectoral diversity, the newly launched IAC of KOFIH consists of globally renowned health economists, public health experts, health system experts and international health consultants from Ghana, Thailand, Bangladesh, the U.K., Australia and China engaged in the different fields such as international politics & economy, climate change and infectious disease response. Professor Vivian Kwang-Wen Lin of the University of Hong Kong (former WHO Director) was recommended and appointed as the first Chairperson of the committee. - By hosting a regular or ad-hoc meeting, IAC is expected to give advisory opinions on norm-setting, governance and strategies to respond to the changing global health in the post-pandemic era. In particular, KOFIH hopes its IAC to work as an ‘international health knowledge community’, opening a channel to discuss fundamentals and principles for Korea’s international health cooperation as well as proper direction for KOFIH’s healthcare projects. □ The IAC Chairperson, Professor Vivian Lin joined the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong as Executive Associate Dean after serving as the Director of Health Systems in the WHO-Western Pacific Regional Office. As an expert specialized in international health and health system, she has continuously presented papers on public health, health strategy and health policy on notable journals such as Lancet. Professor Vivian Lin is known as a globally acclaimed international health scholar and professional. - The appointment ceremony (held on Nov. 14) was followed by the 3rd KOFIH Global Health Forum in which the Chairperson delivered her lecture on the global health changes and challenges in the post-pandemic era. She elaborated on ① changing dynamics of individual countries and global health issues, ② geopolitical determinants of health and ③ evolving discourse on development and global health after the COVID-19. □ The coronavirus pandemic which began spreading in 2020 has obviously highlighted that a disease poses significant impact on individual life and the society as a whole. Meanwhile, it brought ‘inter-connectedness of countries’ and health issues on the table for discussion. The recent Ebola outbreak in Africa and cholera in the Middle East underlines the need for international cooperation and system development to prepare against ‘next corona’ or ‘disease X’ and more discussions on feasible ‘healthcare system’. - KOFIH started to organize and host the Global Health Forum each month since September 2022 to seek new strategies and directions for the global healthcare cooperation in the post-pandemic regime.