The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted vulnerabilities in the global public health system, particularly in regions with high population mobility and uneven medical resources, such as the Mekong subregion. Increased interaction between this region and the Republic of Korea (ROK) underscored the need for closer cooperation in addressing non-traditional security challenges like epidemics. Notably, migrant workers, due to their legal, linguistic, and medical access vulnerabilities, often became overlooked in epidemic prevention efforts. This project aimed to strengthen regional disease prevention and control capabilities through enhanced cooperation and information exchange. The focus was on establishing a robust collaborative mechanism to respond to potential future pandemics, improve overall response capabilities across countries, and provide a more secure public health system for nearly 250 million people. Read more...
