Elle Jin

Congratulations to Associate Professor Mary Chong on her appointment as Programme Director of Master of Public Health (MPH) with effect from 1 Jan 2024.

Mary is a distinguished researcher specialising in Maternal and Child Nutrition. With a background as a clinical dietitian and a PhD from the University of Oxford, UK, she leads the nutrition domain of the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) study, alongside contributing to pre-conception research like SPRESTO and NiPPeR. Mary’s innovative approach integrates web-based technologies to explore the intricate link between diet, lifestyle behaviours, and health outcomes in children and adults.

Alongside her research commitments, Mary actively contributes to shaping the future of public health professionals. She shares her expertise in maternal and child nutrition through teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as coordinating 2 core courses for the Master of Public Health (MPH) programme – SPH5001 Foundations for Public Health and SPH5003 Health Behaviour and Communications. Furthermore, Mary has been instrumental in spearheading the ongoing review of the MPH programme, actively leading and ensuring progress. Simultaneously, she plays a significant role in the assessment and enhancement courses within the School.

Her dedication to both research and teaching demonstrates her firm commitment to translating her research findings into education and contributing to public health.

The 13th edition of the Public Health Thought Leadership Dialogue (PHTLD) was held on 7 Feb 2024, featuring distinguished speaker Dr Anders Nordström, who is an advisor, advocate, activist of public health and former Swedish Ambassador for Global Health

Can altruism spur health in the community?

The propensity for humans to help one another and perform altruistic acts is deeply rooted, and such acts have emerged especially in uncertain times and emergencies, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Altruistic acts not only speak to the endurance of the human spirit, but studies have shown that they also may be leveraged to spur health.

The recent surge in respiratory illnesses among children in China has raised concerns and prompted WHO investigation. Given the reports of a “mysterious illness,” it’s understandable why there’s apprehension about the potential for another pandemic, reminiscent of the early days of COVID-19.

It was 1981 when the first case of the illness now known as #AIDS was reported. How far have we come, and how far do we have to go to end #HIV in this lifetime?

In conjunction with World AIDS Day, a team of international experts, including Assistant Professor Rayner Tan have published a Seminar piece in The Lancet to review the progress made in HIV, and detail what needs to be done to achieve an end to the pandemic.

Worldwide, there’s an increasing trend of bacterial infections that are resistant to carbapenem antibiotics. In Asia and Singapore, these carbapenem-resistant bacterial infections (CR-GNB) lead to hundreds of avoidable deaths each year.

Currently, clinicians lack evidence to guide the best treatment choice for their patients, as well as tools to prevent infection spread. To bridge this healthcare gap, the Amritas team has been granted $10 million for a five-year project to find ways to fight superbugs or drug-resistant bacteria.

We are delighted to announce that the School has been awarded the Commendation Award at the NUS Safety & Health Awards 2023. This is in recognition of the School’s commitment to safety by the progressive implementation of the DHMS elements.

The award ceremony was held on 23 Oct 2023 at the SFAH Auditorium. Senior Assistant Director, Mr Ezra Chiam represented the School and received the award from Prof Chen Tsuhan, Deputy President (Innovation & Enterprise).

A big thank you to NUS for recognising our efforts, and congratulations to all fellow awardees who are making strides in promoting safety and health.

Our heartiest congratulations to A/P Alex Cook who will be promoted to a Full Professor with effect from 1 January 2024.

Alex has made significant impact in his research both at the national and international levels especially in applying quantitative methodologies to infectious disease control. His impressive research has earned him the reputation of being able to influence policy makers with his expert knowledge and also a leading figure in infectious disease epidemiology globally. In addition, the impact of his work on public health during COVID-19 has been frequently highlighted. Alex is also currently the Vice Dean of Research and leads the Research Office in SSHSPH to make valuable contributions to matters related to research.

Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung recently said that the government is looking at using behavioural economics to nudge people to adopt healthier lifestyles, such as by differentiating insurance premiums between those with and without appropriate lifestyles.

According to World Health Organisation figures, Singapore is one of four countries in the world where 100 per cent of the population can have access to safely managed sanitation facilities.

Despite our remarkable success in universal sanitation, a gap exists in the standards of toilets in certain public spaces – hawker centres and coffee shops. As vital community hubs and popular eating spots, maintaining high standards of cleanliness in these establishments is crucial for public health and the overall image of Singapore’s sanitation achievements.