KT to conduct epidemic study with support from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

SEOUL, May 17 (Yonhap) -- KT Corp., South Korea's leading telecommunication firm, said Sunday it will conduct a research project on epidemic prevention with financial support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

A South Korean consortium led by KT will carry out the project named "A Next Generation Surveillance Study for Epidemic Preparedness," with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the world's largest private foundations, investing 12 billion won (US$9.7 million) over the next three years, according to the company.

KT said it has formed the consortium with infectious disease experts, medical service tech developers and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information.

In the project, KT will focus on developing a mobile application that can help with early detection of infectious disease using artificial intelligence-based data analysis.

The company will also work on providing better analysis of infectious disease spread by utilizing mobile communication data and epidemiological information. It aims to develop an epidemiological model that can predict the spread of infectious diseases.

KT said the project will contribute to quick responses to new epidemic diseases in the future and will be able to upgrade South Korea's quarantine system.

kdon@yna.co.kr
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