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Busan Metropolitan City Launches “Mobile Integrated Infectious Disease Screening Pilot Program for Foreign Residents” to Strengthen Community Health Safety Net

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will begin implementing the “Mobile Integrated Infectious Disease Screening Pilot Program for Foreign Residents” starting this month.

Recently, as Busan advances toward becoming a global hub city, the number of foreign workers and international students entering the city has continued to rise. However, many of them face difficulties accessing medical services due to work obligations or language barriers.

To address this issue, Busan Metropolitan City will proactively launch a comprehensive infectious disease screening system for the first time this year, directly reaching vulnerable foreign residents who may be in healthcare blind spots. The initiative aims to detect infectious diseases early and strengthen the community health safety net.

The city will improve convenience for foreign residents and encourage stronger preventive health behavior by integrating previously separate infectious disease screening items into a single “Mobile Integrated Infectious Disease Screening for Foreign Residents” model.

The program targets foreign residents living in Busan and includes screenings for Hansen’s disease, tuberculosis, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, parasitic infections, and hepatitis B and C. Through these screenings, infectious diseases will be identified and individuals with suspected conditions will receive follow-up management.

The screenings will be carried out through step-by-step collaboration between the city and related organizations.

Busan Metropolitan City will establish overall strategies for infectious disease prevention among foreign residents and oversee the project implementation. In addition, the Busan Foreign Residents Support Center and the Busan Foreign Workers Support Center will promote the integrated screening program, identify eligible participants, and provide venues to encourage participation among foreign residents.

The city will also collaborate with specialized infectious disease screening organizations, including the Korea Hansen Welfare Association, the Korean National Tuberculosis Association, the Korea Association of Health Promotion, and the Korea Federation for HIV/AIDS Prevention, to provide screening services.

Furthermore, district and county public health centers will conduct infectious disease prevention outreach and awareness education for foreign residents at screening sites.

The first screening will be conducted on March 29 at the Busan Foreign Residents Support Center (located in Sasang-gu) in cooperation with the Tuberculosis Policy Division of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

Subsequent quarterly screenings in June, September, and November will be organized by the city in connection with workplaces supported by the Busan Foreign Workers Support Center, providing customized services that reflect the needs of actual work environments.

The city held the “First Consultative Meeting for the Mobile Integrated Infectious Disease Screening Pilot Program for Foreign Residents” yesterday (March 9) to formally initiate project implementation.

The meeting took place yesterday afternoon in the conference room on the 22nd floor of Busan City Hall, attended by officials from relevant city departments and partner organizations. Participants discussed the project’s direction and potential development strategies.

The consultative body consists of the Infectious Disease Control Division and the Population Policy Officer of Busan Metropolitan City, district and county public health centers, the Gyeongnam Regional Disease Response Center, the Busan Branch of the Korea Hansen Welfare Association, the Busan Branch of the Korean National Tuberculosis Association, the Busan Eastern Branch of the Korea Association of Health Promotion, the Korea Federation for HIV/AIDS Prevention, the Busan Foreign Residents Support Center, and the Busan Foreign Workers Support Center.

Through this year’s pilot program, the city plans to develop more robust infectious disease prevention initiatives based on the outcomes of the consultative meetings and field screening data. These efforts aim to block the spread of infectious diseases within the community and further establish Busan as a city safe from infectious diseases.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “Foreign residents are valuable partners in our economy and members of our community. Safeguarding their health is a proactive measure that ultimately protects the safety of all Busan citizens. We will continue to work closely with related organizations to strengthen the integrated infectious disease screening system so that foreign residents living in Busan can settle as safe and valued members of our society.”