Korean troops in Haiti held a medical conference Thursday to help develop the health care system and improve the health of residents in the Caribbean nation, military officials said.
The Korean contingent has been stationed in Leogane, about 32 kilometers west of the capital Port-au-Prince, since 2010 as part of the United Nations peacekeeping operations in Haiti.
About 500 Haitian health ministry officials and medical staff from five hospitals operated by non-governmental organizations attended the seminar to share information about diseases prevalent in the region and ways to tackle health problems, such as malaria and leprosy, the Haiti troops support unit said in a release.
During the conference, the participants agreed to provide hygiene education and help eliminate intestinal worms among residents and also push to give vaccinations and nutritional aid to infants and children, it said.
"This conference will lay a cornerstone for developing the Haitian medical system by sharing the latest information about the causes, treatment and preventive measures of diseases Haitians are commonly infected with," said Army Col. Lee Hong-woo, who is in charge of the troops.
The "Danbi" unit started medical service in Haiti in February 2010 and has established a medical database of about 50,000 local residents, the unit said. (Yonhap)