There is currently no governmental body in South Korea resembling the type of poison center (PC) recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). All Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries except for South Korea maintain such a PC tasked with both preventing poisoning accidents and supporting the prompt treatment of poisoned patients. Such a PC could very possibly have allowed the country to more promptly recognize the widespread wave of humidifier disinfectant (HD) associated health effects, including fatal lung injury and death, that lasted started roughly in 2000 and continued through 2011. Despite this chemical poisoning tragedy, South Korea still lacks a surveillance system to monitor health effects caused by the use and consumption of materials that include products containing chemicals, foodborne pathogens, drugs, pesticides, etc. There have been no legal procedures for examining the potential risk of products or materials manufactured by industry. The reporting of national poisoning data or causes of poisoning, which is near ubiquitous in advanced countries with a PC, has not taken place We recommend that a PC should be established within the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). In addition, in order to perform surveillance of poisoning cases across the country, a certain number of regional PCs, including at large hospitals, will also be necessary.
Keywords: Chemical poisoning; Health surveillance; Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency; Poison control center.