March 8, 2016

The NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health congratulates our alumna Dr Margaret Chan (Class of ’85, MSc Public Health and Occupational Medicine) on being featured as one of CNN’s 19 Most Important Women in the History of Science. She joins other famous women on the list such as Dame Jane Goodall and Marie Curie who have made significant and groundbreaking contributions to the field of science. Dr Chan is the current Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) and one of the world’s leading figures in public health. She previouslyRead more

Two years ago, the Health Promotion Board announced its aims to get smoking rates in Singapore down to 12% by 2020. Last December, four tobacco control proposals were raised for public consultation: raising the minimum age for smoking, banning additives in tobacco products, selling cigarettes in plain packaging, and enlarging graphic health warnings on packaging. Some of these measures have been implemented in other countries or cities – such as Brazil, which has banned flavoured tobacco since 2012, and Australia, which has put in place plain packaging for cigarettes since

With rising obesity and diabetes rates both globally and in Singapore, we need to keep our body weight in check to prevent risks of health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. And it’s important to take note of sugar content in fresh fruit juice, which is comparable to that of sugar-sweetened beverages such as soft drinks, said Associate Professor Rob van Dam from the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. Furthermore, the hidden risks in beverages are often overlooked as beverages can be quickly consumed and can lead