《Global Issues for Public Administration ODA_3-6》
Global Health ODA

Sangchul Yoon (Research Associate Professor)
Department of Humanities and Social Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine

Global health ODA of the Republic of Korea has consistently increased in line with the overall growth of ODA. During the COVID-19 pandemic, its scale has grown even further due to various urgent demands, as well as the scope of support. This study examines the growth of Korea's global health ODA and reflects on the changes that have occurred in the international health environment through the mid-term strategies of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in health and medicine sector, developed in five-year increments since 2011.
The health issues of many recipient nations have evolved into diverse and increasingly complex patterns, which are expected to further accelerate. Particularly as non-communicable diseases add to the burden of infectious diseases, known as double burden, the existing vertical approach has clearly shown its limitations. After the COVID-19 pandemic, every country recognized the necessity of strengthening their healthcare systems as a crucial element of development. This will undoubtedly become a significant topic in the field of health in the future. To address this, essential financial support, a systematic healthcare delivery system, and improvements in diagnostic capacity and medical quality were introduced, along with an explanation of digital health, which is rapidly being introduced to enhance medical efficiency.
Ultimately, in a situation where it is necessary to gradually alleviate the burden of diseases through effective changes, proposals have been put forward to address existing problems. This study delineates the development of performance indicators, encompassing their effectiveness, and introduces methodologies for their measurement, with the goal of establishing improved health programs compared to previous ones. Furthermore, a multi-sectoral approach of “improving health through comprehensive policies” was reviewed, the limitations of the current approach were thoroughly reassessed, and future development directions were suggested. The integration of public administration and health aims not only for simple convergence between fields but also to convey an effective method for achieving sustainable development in the health sector.