- Establishing a healthcare-associated infection response system through public–private cooperation 

Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) announced that it held the “2026 Incheon-Style Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) Infection Reduction Strategy Project Briefing Session” at Incheon City Hall on January 23 as part of the I-CRE ZERO Project.

CRE infection is a type of healthcare-associated defect caused by high-risk resistant bacteria that do not respond to conventional antibiotics. It is primarily transmitted through direct or indirect contact in general hospitals and long-term care hospitals with high numbers of critically ill patients. CRE infection can lead to a range of illnesses including pneumonia and urinary tract infections, and it is associated with a high fatality rate; hence the need for thorough and systematic management.

The annual number of reported CRE infection cases in Incheon has shown a steady upward trend, rising by 20.7% from 2,983 cases in 2023 to 3,601 cases in 2024 and further increasing to 3,883 cases in 2025.

The briefing session was organized as a proactive response to the continued spread of CRE infections by addressing the limitations of individual medical institutions’ response efforts and establishing a systematic response framework through public–private cooperation.

In particular, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has been piloting a CRE infection reduction strategy project since 2025 in three metropolitan governments: Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Busan. Incheon City has incorporated regionally tailored strategies into this initiative and held the session to recruit medical institutions that will participate in implementing the program.

Approximately 40 officials from 20 medical institutions across the city attended the session, receiving explanations on the project’s direction and participation methods and taking part in a Q&A session; thus demonstrating strong interest.

The project plans to recruit five general hospitals and ten long-term care hospitals as participating institutions. It will introduce strengthened environmental management using self-assessment tools and establish five regional cooperative networks, forming a tightly knit public–private cooperation model that distinguishes itself from the 2025 initiative.

“CRE infections are spreading not only in Incheon but across the country as well. We will continue to promote prevention initiatives tailored to the characteristics of each medical institution to stop the spread of infection and ensure that citizens can use healthcare services with confidence,” said Shin Byung-chul, Director of the Incheon Health and Welfare Bureau.