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Historical Overview of Community Health Practitioners in Korea
Author(s) -
Kwak Changyeong,
Ko Young
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
public health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.471
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1525-1446
pISSN - 0737-1209
DOI - 10.1111/phn.12143
Subject(s) - public health , medicine , government (linguistics) , environmental health , health care , pandemic , economic growth , health promotion , disease , gerontology , nursing , infectious disease (medical specialty) , covid-19 , linguistics , philosophy , pathology , economics
The Korean government introduced CHP s (Community Health Practitioners) as front‐line primary health care providers to address the health disparity between urban and rural areas. Through their dedicated contribution over last 30 years, the CHP s have improved Korea's public health through the successful control of high birth rates, a lowered maternal and infant mortality rate in the 1980s, eradication of parasitic infection, and containing many communicable diseases including hepatitis B. However, rapid changes in the health care environment and demands for health care among rural residents have required changes in the roles and functions of the CHP s. They are challenged by fundamental changes in the public health system addressing various health issues due to a rapidly aging society, pandemic of chronic disease, new infectious disease, and climate changes. CHP s should continuously transform their roles and functions to establish a lifelong health management system. This article presents a historical overview of the CHP system and their tasks and activities. Also, recent challenges that CHP s are facing and strategies to overcome those challenges will be discussed. This historical overview will be informative for other developing countries in resolving their own public health problems.