Warm New Year’s greetings to you from all of us at CFK!

On November 24th, we returned from a nearly month-long visit to the DPRK where we made significant progress on multiple projects.   The majority of our team effort focused on initiating significant renovations at the National TB Reference Laboratory, the delivery and installation of lab equipment and supplies, and an orientation workshop on TB culturing methods and lab practices (led by Stanford University School of Medicine and the Bay Area TB Consortium).  This visit was the culmination of nearly a full year of planning and work.   As can be fully expected with a complex project such as this one, we encountered some unexpected challenges that will require effort on both sides to fully resolve, and which will necessitate a return visit in the Spring.  Nevertheless, in strong partnership with our North Korean counterparts, great progress was made and we anticipate the lab will be fully operational within just a few short months.  

Our team also installed an oxygen bottling machine to enable the full use of anesthesia equipment previously sent to our newly renovated operating rooms.  Also during our visit this time, a small CFK greenhouse team conducted a construction workshop for a new 8x23m passive solar greenhouse together with agricultural staff from our hospital and rest home facilities.  In all, 22 people on the greater CFK team rotated in and out of DPRK over a 27-day period.  We are grateful for your prayers and support that sustained and encouraged our teams.  Please follow the link above to our December 2009 Activity Report  describing this visit.

Looking ahead to 2010, we look forward to completing the National Lab project and continuing our support to TB care facilities.  We also hope to explore ways we may be of assistance to those suffering from hepatitis.  Reports of continued food shortages persist and the cold winter weather brings extra hardship to many.  Malnourished people are not able to fight off infections very well and many are succumbing to active disease.  We met with the World Health Organization twice during our stay and they alerted us to a looming TB medicine shortage.  TB medicine is expected to run out in August of 2010, leaving 40,000 or more active patients without a means of treatment.  We have been urged to send as much TB medicine as possible to cover this gap until alternative international funding can be secured.

Thank you for your interest in the work of Christian Friends of Korea.  We invite you to understand the needs of the people of North Korea and respond as you are able.