[National Reference Laboratories for Infectious Diseases Accreditation System and Results of Operation]

Pursuant to Article 16-2 of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act (Act No. 19419), the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) is an agency for the identification of infectious disease pathogens. It is difficult for private medical institutions to carry out the identification of Class 1 infectious diseases, which are infectious diseases imported from foreign countries. The KDCA conducts diagnostic tests for infectious diseases. Additionally, to obtain test results that the public can trust, we have established and are operating a National Reference Laboratory Accreditation System (NRLAS) for infectious diseases. The verification of its capabilities as a national reference laboratory is conducted through an accreditation committee composed of internal and external experts. From 2019 to the present, a total of 20 types of infectious diseases have been recognized through the NRLAS, which presents standards for infectious disease laboratory testing. The KDCA plan to continue efforts to improve the inspection reliability by standardizing the overall inspection work.