North Korea ranks 193rd out of 195 countries in terms of its ability to prevent, detect and respond to an epidemic, a recent global health security index showed.

The impoverished North scored 17.5 points in the index compiled by the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a US-based nonprofit organization, and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, coming higher than only two countries -- Equatorial Guinea and Somalia.

The global average was 40.2 points.

Meanwhile, South Korea ranked 9th in the index while the United States topped the list with a score of 83.5 points, followed by the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. (Yonhap)