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KMID : 1138920080070010129
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Health Insurance Forum
2008 Volume.7 No. 1 p.129 ~ p.149
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North Korea’s Health Status and Health Care System
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Choi Ki-Chun
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Abstract
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North Korea has a national medical service and health insurance system which guarantees universal and free health care for its people. The characteristic of North Korea’s health care system could be summarized as some core institutions such as “Free Medical Care System”, Preventive Medicine System” and "System of Doctor in Charge of a District”.
However, North Korea’s health care system in reality is near collapse due to economic difficulties caused by the fall of the Soviet Union and the withdrawal of aid and subsidized trade especially in the years of natural disaster. Due to food shortages, the infant mortality rate has increased. The main reasons for Child deaths were diarrhoea and acute respiratory
infections (ARI), with malnutrition, and half of these deaths occurred in 2004. Moreover, severe and widespread shortage of basic equipment, a general degradation in the infrastructure and especially shortages of essential medicines, medical consumables and other supplies, with the deterioration of water and sanitation systems have reduced the capacity of
the health system to control various diseases.
Consequently, practical gaps between South and North Korea are immense in various aspects, and especially huge gap in the health sector among them is one of the most serious obstacles for reunification of the two Koreas. Therefore, it is up to South Korea in spite of the current political and nuclear impasse, since it is the only one capable, to draw a strategic
plan to bridge the gap.
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KEYWORD
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North Korea’s health care system, North Korea’s Health Status
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