KPA, as group of experts in pediatric infectious diseases, to collaborate in academic research and projects on infectious disease prevention
To support vaccination of children in developing countries through the ‘One for Three’ campaign, in partnership with IVI

IVI, and the Korea Support Committee for IVI exchanged a three-way MOU with the Korean Pediatric Association (KPA) to seek cooperation in the effort to accelerate vaccine research and support vaccination of children in developing countries on March 13, 2019. KPA President Dr. Hyun Taek Lim (center), IVI Director General Dr. Jerome Kim (right), and KSC President Prof. Sang Chul Park, President pose for a photo as they exchange the signed MOU.
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI), the Korea Support Committee for IVI, and the Korean Pediatric Association (KPA) exchanged a three-way memorandum of understanding to cooperate in efforts to prevent infectious diseases and improve the health of children in developing countries by supporting the delivery of vaccines.
At a signing ceremony at IVI headquarters in Seoul on March 13, representatives of the three organizations agreed to join forces for the ‘One for Three campaign’, led by the KPA to provide vaccines to children in developing countries. In particular, the KPA, as group of experts in pediatric infectious diseases, will collaborate in academic research and projects to prevent infectious diseases, and proactively cooperate to improve global health by supporting the development and delivery of vaccines.
IVI has continued efforts to deliver vaccines for children in developing countries while accelerating the development of safe, effective and affordable vaccines for global health. Last year, IVI conducted a mass vaccination campaign in over 190,000 people with support from KOICA’s Global Disease Eradication Fund. Notably, the campaign used the ‘Euvichol-Plus’ vaccine, which was developed through IVI’s technology transfer and is supplied by a Korean vaccine manufacturer.
Going forward, the KPA will participate in the ‘One for Three’ campaign that aims to raise funds to provide vaccines for children in developing countries through IVI and invite its members to take part in promoting the campaign. In ‘One for Three’, participating hospitals and clinics set aside a certain amount (500 KRW) per vaccination they offer to patients and customers, and thereby give ‘vaccination to one child’ in developing countries for every three vaccinations administered locally.
KPA Chairman Dr. Hyun Taek Lim said, “As medical professionals who are fully responsible for the health of children and teenagers in Korea, KPA members now can also contribute to the development and delivery of vaccines for the world’s children in collaboration with IVI,” adding, “Pediatrics is an area of healthcare that is more closely related to vaccines than other medical fields, and pediatric clinics are vaccinating more children than other clinics. With this agreement, we will continue to expand our collaboration with IVI.”

IVI Director General Dr. Jerome Kim (center), and KSC President Prof. Sang Chul Park, present an appreciation plaque to KPA President Dr. Hyun Taek Lim (left) to express gratitude for KPA’s commitment to cooperation.

Key participants pose for a commemorative photo after the MOU signing ceremony between KPA, and IVI/ KSC at IVI headquarters on March 13.
IVI Director General Jerome Kim emphasized, “Korea is a global leader and is among the most advanced countries in the area of in healthcare and medicine in the world,” adding, “We have many potential areas of collaboration within pediatrics, and this partnership will contribute to narrowing the gap in vaccines between developed and developing countries, and will help Korean doctors increase their contribution to global health.”
“Through IVI, Korea is repaying what it received from the international community in the past, while accelerating the development of biotech and life sciences,” Prof. Park Sang-chul, President of KSC commented. “With KPA’s engagement, we expect to see more Korean doctors joining IVI’s humanitarian mission to deliver vaccines to children around the world. We are deeply grateful to all members of KPA, and other donors.”
About Korean Pediatric Association
The Korean Pediatric Association (KPA), part of the Korean Medical Association, consists of about 9,000 pediatricians. They are working at primary, secondary and tertiary medical institutions and are experts in the development, disease prevention, and treatment of children and adolescents in Korea. Korea is a country with advanced medical practices, which has been maintaining a childhood and teenage vaccination coverage of 92.9 percent to 98.2 percent (data from KCDC, 2017) since the introduction of the National Immunization Program in 2009. This is a result of efforts by 9,000 pediatricians in conjunction with government policy. Not only Korean children and adolescents in Korea, but also foreign children living in the country have been included the NIP. As a result, the country has a smaller incidence of infectious diseases than any other country in the world.
The KPA seeks to take the lead in eradicating infectious diseases of children and teenagers in developing countries by leveraging their professional experience in combating infectious diseases. The KPA is committed to working with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), an international organization dedicated to the development and delivery of vaccines for infectious disease, especially for children in developing countries in our concerted efforts to improve the health and well-being of children. In addition, the association will actively participate in projects to improve children’s health; including vaccination and prevention and treatment of infectious diseases of North Korean children.
About International Vaccine Institute (IVI)
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is the world’s only international organization devoted exclusively to developing and introducing new and improved vaccines to protect the world’s poorest people, especially children in developing countries. Established in 1997, IVI operates as an independent international organization under a treaty signed by 35 countries and the World Health Organization. The Institute conducts research in more than 30 countries throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America on vaccines against enteric and diarrheal infections, Japanese encephalitis, MERS-CoV, and dengue fever; and develops new and improved vaccines at its headquarters in Seoul, Republic of Korea. For more information, please visit www.ivi.int
About Korea Support Committee for IVI
Established in 1998, the Korea Support Committee for IVI (KSC) is a nonprofit organization based in Seoul, Korea that mobilizes local support for IVI. The KSC consists of about 70 prominent leaders from government, industry and academia in Korea who contribute their time and expertise to support IVI. The committee aims to contribute to the welfare of humanity and the development of science and technology through the prevention of infectious diseases by supporting IVI to help the Institute emerge as a world-class vaccine research organization and to save the lives of children from diseases, as well as to eradicate poverty in developing countries.
CONTACTS
Felicia An, Head of Communications, IVI
+82 2 881 1309 | Felicia.An@ivi.int
Tae Kyung Byun, Senior Manager of Korean Communications, IVI
+82 2 881 1159 | tkbyun@ivi.int