China announced its “Made in China 2025” manufacturing strategy in May 2015, which places the biomedical and high-performing medical instruments sector as one of China’s pillar industries. China could draw lessons from Singapore’s experience over the last decade, when the Singapore government began investing substantially in biomedical research since 2000. 10 years on, Singapore has since shifted its focus from basic biomedical research to clinical translational research, focusing on health outcomes and emphasis on disease prevention in the population.
The current major population health threat/challenge is not infectious diseases but chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke and cancer, says Professor Chia Kee Seng, Dean of the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. Adding to this is the increasing trend of overweight and obese individuals under the age of 40, caused by poor diet and lack of physical activity.
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