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Thu, June 21, 2018 | 21:14

National > Diseases & welfare >

Social perception toward obesity needs change

The annual social and economic costs to cure illnesses stemming from obesity have doubled over the last decade, according to the National Health Insurance Corp. (NHIC), the state-run insurance company. Its latest report showed the costs reached nearly 10 trillion won in 2015, up from about 5 trillion won in 2006.

Diseases & welfare | 2018-03-20 18:47

Fertility treatment success rates to be revealed

The demand for fertility treatment has increased in recent years as more women delay having children. But finding a good hospital for the treatment has been difficult because hospitals keep their success rate secret. This will change when a new enforcement ordinance comes into force in six months requiring all medical institutions to disclose such data to the public, accordin...

Diseases & welfare | 2018-03-19 13:25

Bird Flu confirmed at farms in Gyeonggi and South Chungcheong

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs confirmed the highly pathogenic H5N6 strain in chickens at three poultry farms in Pyeongtaek and Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, and Asan, South Chungcheong Province, Sunday.

Diseases & welfare | 2018-03-18 17:31

PyeongChang Paralympics less accessible to wheelchair users

Moon Ae-rin, a wheelchair user who attended the Paralympics opening ceremony, waited more than an hour to board a shuttle bus to Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium. The private bus that Moon's group, Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination, borrowed could not go straight to the stadium. All visitors had to transfer to a free shuttle from designated locations near the venue.

Diseases & welfare | 2018-03-18 15:44

Koreans deserve quality psychotherapy

Recently, the Ministry of Health and Welfare passed a new mental health bill to include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) under the universal medical health insurance. CBT is a type of psychotherapy that has the strongest scientific evidence for being effective for a range of psychiatric illnesses, psychological problems and relationship issues.

Diseases & welfare | 2018-03-15 17:38

Migrant wives suffer from sexual violence

The recent #MeToo movement resonates with many women in Korea, giving them a sense of social justice. But it doesn’t fully do so with immigrant wives in Korea who often fall victim to sexual assault at home. Tens of thousands of young Asian women have moved to Korea after marrying Korean men - their population outnumbers female migrant workers. Many experience hardships in th...

Diseases & welfare | 2018-03-14 17:08

Korea wrestling with falling blood donation

Korea's fast-shrinking birthrate coupled with a fast-growing elderly population is having an unexpected consequence: a blood shortage. According to Korean Red Cross Blood Donation Centers Monday, the national blood stock fell to 3.9 days, shorter than five days which is regarded as most desirable. The blood stock is calculated by dividing the total number of red blood cell sa...

Diseases & welfare | 2018-03-12 19:47

Homosexuals account for half of new HIV infections

Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDCP) statistics show that 712 people were confirmed to have been infected with HIV in 2016. Among them, 325 people (45.6 percent) contracted the virus from homosexual activities. The exact size of the gay population here is unknown. But the Korea Institute of Sexology’s 2011 survey showed that seven out of 1,000 Korean adult...

Diseases & welfare | 2018-03-12 14:26

Seek medical attention for dry eyes and mouth

Early diagnosis and continued treatment can help patients better manage Sjogren's Syndrome, a possibly chronic yet non-fatal disorder of the immune system identified by two most common symptoms _ dry eyes and a dry mouth, according to an expert. The rare disease, which often accompanies other immune system disorders including rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, is much more common in women. Most of the patients are usually older than 40 at the time of diagnosis. Any age group can develop the disease.

Diseases & welfare | 2018-03-11 17:32

Improving quality of life key to tackle low birthrate

Korea's struggle with its low birthrate isn't new, however, new statistics on births in 2017 announced in a report Wednesday came as a shock. According to Statistics Korea, only 357,700 babies were born last year, falling below the 400,000 mark for the first time. That put the average birthrate at 1.05 per woman, the lowest since data began being collected. Statistics officials project that if this trend continues, Korea will see its population peak in 2028, four years earlier than previously forecast.

Diseases & welfare | 2018-03-01 17:08

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