5. Summary

Decolonization, triggered by the end of the Second World War, continued during the 1960s and 1970s. Setting up development cooperation projects to improve conditions in poor and newly independent countries emerged as a major task for developed countries and the United Nations.

In 1978, WHO and UNICEF jointly convened the International Conference on Primary Health Care as a step towards closing the health services gap between countries and regions. A groundbreaking declaration on primary health care, The Declaration of Alma-Ata, was announced at this conference, and was adopted as one of the key projects of WHO under the slogan “Health for All by the Year 2000”.

While undergoing unprecedented changes in the 1960s and 1970s, the Republic of Korea achieved rapid economic growth, thereby raising the nation’s status in the global economy. During this time, the country’s health-care system and health status also markedly improved. Despite limited funding, the Government strived to promote the public health of residents by expanding the network of health

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Q a postage stamp commemorating the malaria control project was issued on national health day in 1962. centres and securing high-quality health personnel and facilities. Average life expectancy grew from 52.3 years in 1960 to 61.9 years in 1970, and to 65.7 years in 1980. The total fertility rate decreased from 6.00 in 1960 to 4.51 in 1970, and to 2.73 in 1980.

WHO played a critical role in the advancement of health care in the Republic of Korea during the 1960s and 1970s. In October 1962, the Organization established a Country Liaison Office in Seoul, which was upgraded to the WHO Representative Office in January 1965. WHO supported two large pilot projects on community health-care system strengthening (one in 1963–1967 and the other in 1971) and also supported the training of public health workers through overseas fellowships and domestic training courses. WHO provided technical support to a wide range of health programmes covering acute communicable diseases, leprosy, tuberculosis, malaria and parasites, MCH, and environmental health. As a result, the Government of the Republic of Korea was able to strengthen a health-care service system and to enhance the health of the people.

During this period, the Republic of Korea began to contribute to global health. From the 1960s, Korean experts began to join the WHO Secretariat and supported other developing countries as advisers. In 1972, the Industrial Medical Research Institute at the Catholic University of Korea became the country’s first WHO collaborating centre. In 1978, the Republic of Korea supplied DDT valued at US$ 20 000 to Viet Nam through WHO for the control of malaria vector mosquitoes. This support marked an important shift in the Republic of Korea. While the country was still receiving aid from international organizations such as WHO during this period, it was also starting to provide international support.