Roshni Dutt

The theme of World No Tobacco Day 2024 is “Protecting children from tobacco industry interference” to protect our future generations.

In spite of decades of public education about the harms of smoking, the #tobacco industry continues to employ marketing tactics and lobbying efforts to downplay the risks and addict new generations to tobacco.

In a Lancet publication, Assistant Professor Yvette van der Ejik and her team found that many countries, particularly low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), are well-positioned for the #tobaccoendgame but lack explicit targets. To achieve the tobacco endgame, strong political and public support is vital, alongside denormalising the tobacco industry.

Antibiotics are a global public good that prolong lives, reduce disabilities, and enable other life-saving medical interventions such as surgery. Antimicrobial resistance threatens this backbone of modern medicine, and is estimated to have contributed to almost 5 million deaths in 2019 alone. As the world’s set of effective antibiotics narrow, the very young, very old and severely ill will be the ones to suffer the most, even in Singapore and other high-income countries.

Deforestation, driven by agricultural expansion spreads diseases from animals to humans.

Destroying biodiversity-rich forests enables diseases to easily transfer from wildlife to humans. To mitigate health risks, urgent global cooperation and proactive measures are needed to address deforestation and its link to disease transmission.

Hear from Associate Professor Kimberly Fornace as she sheds light on the critical importance of these efforts in safeguarding human health and preventing further outbreaks.

As dengue cases continue to rise, projections indicate that the Aedes mosquito may potentially impact 60% of the global population by 2080.
Implementing a multifaceted approach, including better living standards, urban planning, and mosquito control, is crucial to mitigate dengue risks and its public health impact.
Hear from Professor Ooi Eng Eong, as he discuss the critical role of practical public health measures and comprehensive interventions in dengue control, while also considering climate factors in future city planning.

The global health landscape is evolving, presenting challenges such as climate change, deteriorating macroeconomic conditions, and the need for sustainable health financing.
Gavi and its partner countries are facing the need for significant policy shifts to address these challenges and ensure equitable and sustainable immunization.
Hear from Professor Alec Morton and other esteemed experts as they outline a proposal for a New Compact between Gavi and partner countries, in line with the core approach of prioritising country ownership and financing of the highest priority vaccines while health aid is provided at the margin.

Amidst the persistent threat of third-hand smoke permeating households, it’s crucial to address the hidden health risks lurking within our living spaces.
Annually, 1.3 million deaths worldwide underscore the severity of this issue. Although smokers attempt to reduce exposure by smoking in designated areas or opening windows, these measures are inadequate against the detrimental effects of smoke residue.
Hear from Assistant Professor Yvette Van Der Eijk, as she delves into the implications of third-hand smoke exposure and unveils strategies for creating smoke-free homes in Singapore.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health Rayahu Mahzam clarified the latest data on vaping-related offences and enforcement efforts in Singapore.
Amidst ongoing concerns surrounding vaping-related offenses in Singapore, questions persist regarding the efficacy of enforcement measures.
Hear from Assistant Professor Yvette Van Der Ejik as she shared insights on the implications of legal, regulated markets in relation to the current ban in an interview.

To tackle #dengue, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia have unleashed special mosquitoes injected with bacteria. However, cases are still on the rise.
As of 23 March 2024, Singapore has recorded a total of 4,817 dengue cases for the year. Meanwhile, in Malaysia, the number of dengue-related deaths in 2023 reached 100, almost twice the figure from 2022.
Hear from Professor Hsu Li Yang and Assistant Professor Borame Dickens as they share their insights on the evolving dengue situation in Singapore and delve into innovative strategies to combat its spread.

The National Population Health Survey 2022 revealed that only 37.6% of Singaporean women aged 50 to 69 had gone for a mammography in the past two years which is below the World Health Organization’s recommended level, with bottlenecks such as long waiting time and shortage of radiologists.

The Law Enforcement and Other Matters Act contains provisions to expand the police’s power to apprehend someone undergoing a mental health crisis. These provisions stated that if a police officer reasonably believes that a person may be a danger to themselves or others, then that is sufficient basis for the officer to believe that the person is “mentally disordered”.
Under this premise, when does an arrest become necessary? How do we then find a balance between upholding public safety and respect of the person in crisis?
Hear from Assistant Professor Rayner Tan and other co-authors as they gave their expert opinion on this complex issue, advocating for more careful and empathetic consideration of the mental health complexities.