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On October 20th, 2022, the Leadership Institute for Global Health Transformation (LIGHT) at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health organised a webinar on mass vaccination campaigns in Southeast Asia. Dr Jemilah Mahmood and Dr Kenneth Hartigan-Go shared about their experiences coordination COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in Malaysia and the Philippines. They considered issues such as gaining popular trust, selecting suitable vaccines and logistics for future pandemics. The webinar was part of the ALPHA Fellowship supported by the Temasek Foundation, bringing together 20 Fellows from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia andRead more

Dr Mary Chong and Dr Sim Xueling have been promoted to Associate Professor, and Dr Cecilia Teng has been promoted to Senior Lecturer with effect from 1 January 2023! Mary’s research focuses on three inter-connected themes around early life nutrition and health – Maternal and Offspring Nutrition and Health, Preconception Nutrition and Health, and Children’s Health. This includes exploring relationships between macronutrients, maternal micronutrient status in the maternal diet and child neurocognition, maternal dietary patterns, metabolic health in mothers and offspring. Mary has made significant contributions to establish a strong

Our warmest congratulations to our current Master Of Public Health student, Celine Tan, for her publication in the Lancet Regional Health Western Pacific. The significance of her team’s findings in the research paper titled, “Comparative effectiveness of 3 or 4 doses of mRNA and inactivated whole-virus vaccines against COVID-19 infection, hospitalization and severe outcomes among elderly in Singapore”, featured in The Straits Times. Celine’s team found that vaccination with four doses of mRNA vaccine was associated with lower rates of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization, and severe COVID-19 compared with three

The annual Singapore Healthcare and Artificial Intelligence Expo and Datathon (SHADE’22) concluded its fifth run at the National University of Singapore Cultural Centre. Assistant Professor Feng Mengling served as the co-chairperson of this event. SHADE’22 brought together the world’s top clinicians, data scientists, and innovators with the aim of leading positive healthcare changes by building an ecosystem to contribute to the advancement of AI technology in healthcare. The event promoted healthcare research and collaboration among doctors, data scientists, AI researchers, students, and like-minded individuals from various industries, institutes, and countries.

Fellows from ASEAN convened in Singapore for the final session of the ALPHA Fellowship Programme 2022 from 30 Nov to 2 Dec 2022. This programme was funded by Temasek Foundation and led by Assoc Prof Jeremy Lim and the Leadership Institute for Global Health Transformation (LIGHT) team, and comprised of monthly online sessions, as well as two in-person sessions in Singapore. The Fellowship programme aims to nurture a cohort of early-career professionals in public health with a shared vision for health in ASEAN, leading to an innovative outlook on global

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to humans, animals, plants, and the environment today. Misuse and overuse of antimicrobials have accelerated the development and spread of AMR worldwide, resulting in an estimated 1.27 million human deaths in 2019. This year, the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) has taken on the theme of “Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together ”, calling for cross-sectoral collaboration to contribute to the prudent use of antimicrobials and to strengthen preventive measures. Joining the cause is ADVANcing Clinical Evidence in Infectious Diseases (ADVANCE-ID), a network of more

With the increasing attention on physical activity in recent years and the lack of comprehensive assessments of current activity levels among children and adolescents, the PANDA team joined the Global Matrix 4.0. Joining this global initiative was also an opportunity to compare the physical activity landscape in Singapore with other 56 participating countries as country-specific Report Cards are developed. The Global Matrix is led by the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance (AHKGA), a non-profit organization. The Report Cards use an evidence-based approach to consolidate and assess existing local evidence on

Globally, an estimated 58 million people have chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with far-reaching socio-economic consequences. The World Health Organization has called for the elimination of viral hepatitis by 2030. In view of this, healthcare experts from around the region convened at the Hepatitis C Virus Elimination Symposium on 7 Nov 2022 to discuss strategies and share best practices adopted in their nations to eradicate HCV as a public health concern in Asia Pacific by 2030. The School is pleased to have Prof Chien-Jen Chen from the Graduate Institute

It has been two years since the World Health Organization (WHO) characterised COVID-19 as a pandemic. Singapore has often been lauded for its effective management of the pandemic situation with one of the world’s lowest fatality rates. What insights can other communities glean from Singapore’s successful measures in controlling the virus? Hear from Associate Professor Natasha Howard from the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health as she weighs in on Singapore’s crisis communications strategies. Read more here. Photo Credit: Ming Pao News  

Youths seem to believe vaping is harmless. However, the stark reality is far from the truth. Although vaping is banned in Singapore, the sight of youngsters vaping in public is getting increasingly common, especially with borders reopening after the pandemic. Vaping can result in e-cigarette or vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI), a severe medical condition with pneumonia-like symptoms linked to certain chemicals in e-liquids. Hear from Assistant Professor Yvette van der Eijk from the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health as she weighs in on the safety and effectiveness