Brussels, 14/05/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Commission adopted a € 7.5 million humanitarian aid plan to support the health sector in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Allocated by the Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office, ECHO, aid will go towards much-needed equipment and medicines in this country where life expectancy fell by six years between 1995 and 1999 due to chronic malnutrition, rising numbers of malaria and tuberculosis cases. The aid will help rehabilitate health centres, hospitals and special services. The programmes will be implemented by international agencies operating in the country and supervised by ECHO support offices in Pyongyang and Beijing.