Collaboration

SSHSPH re-designated as WHO Collaborating Centre for Occupational Health

The NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health has been re-designated as a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Occupational Health for a period of four years, effective 22 June 2018 to 22 June 2022, under the leadership of Associate Professor Norbert Wagner and Associate Professor Chia Sin Eng.

As a WHO Collaborating Centre (WHO CC), the School provides support to WHO in three ways:

  1. The School will support WHO in expanding coverage of Occupational Health Services through capacity building activities and development of training materials. A/Prof Wagner, Dr Jeff Hwang, Dr Bernard Thio and Ms Vivian Ng have conducted training courses in Viet Nam on occupational health and health promotion at the workplace. In May 2018, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the School and the Ministry of Health of Viet Nam to facilitate this training programme. The courses will continue to run until 2020, with the addition of one more course on leadership in public health programme planning.
  2. The School will support WHO in providing technical and policy assistance to middle- and low-income countries for strengthening the national capacity for Occupational Health Services. A/Prof Wagner, Dr Hwang and Ms Ng are working with the Department of Occupational Health, Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, Cambodia to develop a framework and training plan for the certification of labour inspectors who specialise in occupational health and safety.
  3. The School will support WHO in expanding coverage of Occupational Health Services through providing Occupational Health laboratory services and training in laboratory techniques. Prof Ong Choon Nam and his team will conduct an assessment and make recommendations on the quality control of heavy metals and solvents in occupational medicine laboratories in ASEAN countries.

SSHSPH is one of over 800 institutions in over 80 countries worldwide working together with WHO in areas such as occupational health, communicable diseases, nursing, nutrition, mental health, health technologies and chronic diseases.