The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) said it has started the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Bio Manpower Development Hub two-week basic training program.
The training program will cover the vaccine and biopharmaceutical production process.
Established in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Korea was designated as the only Global Bio Manpower Development Hub by the World Health Organization (WHO) in February of last year.
In its first year of operation, the WHO Global Bio Manpower Development Hub program successfully conducted capacity-building training for vaccine production, targeting a total of 754 individuals from 43 countries worldwide, including 68 from Korea.
Through collaboration with the World Health Organization, the ministry had conducted two theoretical training sessions on vaccine and bio-pharmaceutical production processes and quality management last year.
Also, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), two theory and practical training sessions on vaccines were provided for the Asia-Pacific region.
All training programs received high satisfaction ratings (above 4.5 out of 5) from participants and received excellent evaluations from related organizations such as the WHO.
This year, the commencement ceremony to mark the start of the training was held at Seoul National University's Siheung Campus on Monday.
The training program, organized by the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), has minor changes compared to last year.
Notably, some sessions are being transformed into online courses to facilitate participation before the training, which the IVI believes will allow sufficient time for discussions and Q&A sessions to deepen the participants' experiences and knowledge during their stay in Korea.
The government has been recruiting participants for this training program since January in collaboration with the WHO and IVI, making efforts to ensure balanced participation from various countries.
As a result, a total of 235 individuals were selected, including 205 from 47 low- and middle-income countries and 30 Korean participants. The participants consisted mainly of employees from public and private biopharmaceutical companies and government agencies in low- and middle-income countries, as well as job seekers in Korea.
The ministry expects that participants who complete the training will play a significant role in their home countries, including involvement in vaccine production sites, the establishment of production bases, research and education, and vaccine distribution.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, delivered a video message stating, "I am deeply grateful for conducting the education based on excellent resources in the Korea, which is the Global Bio Manpower Development Hub."
He expressed his determination to continue collaboration with global public and private organizations, including Korea, in bio manpower development.
Jerome H. Kim, Director-General of IVI, also pledged to provide high-level education utilizing Korea's excellent bio infrastructure and the institute's capabilities, contributing to narrowing the global gap in vaccine accessibility.
Meanwhile, the MOHW emphasized that it will solidify the foundation of the WHO Global Bio Manpower Development Hub and expand practical education to enhance vaccine production capabilities in low- and middle-income countries.
The ministry also pledged to strengthen international cooperation with organizations such as the WHO, various governments, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to enhance the hub's status and provide education that meets international demand.
In line with this, the government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on operational cooperation with the WHO regarding the Global Bio Manpower Development Hub following the World Health Assembly in May.
It also plans to pursue the establishment and expansion of education programs through cooperation with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).