News

The NUS Cambodia Programme, led by Assoc Prof Siyan Yi and Ms Esabelle Yam, concluded a series of high-level engagements in Phnom Penh from 19 to 21 January 2026, undertaken together with colleagues from the Health Intervention and Policy Evaluation Research (HIPER) and the Southeast Asia Regional Collaborative for Health (SEARCH).

Together with regional policymakers and practitioners from Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, China, and India, as well as global experts, the NUS team engaged with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the National Social Protection Council (NSPC) under the Ministry of Economy and Finance to exchange experiences on strengthening health systems and advancing universal health coverage.

Discussions with the Ministry of Health on 19 January 2026 focused on key priorities in Cambodia’s health system reform agenda, including health financing and budgeting, service delivery across primary, referral, and national levels of care, and the strengthening of health information and digital systems. Exchanges with senior MoH officials highlighted efforts to enhance the use of health indicators for priority setting, and advance digital initiatives such as unique health identifiers and electronic medical records to support service delivery, planning, and health technology assessment (HTA). At Calmette Hospital, discussions centred on referral pathways, emergency and intensive care capacity, payment mechanisms under social health protection schemes, and the importance of integrated financing, data use, and system-wide capacity building.

Building on these engagements, a one-day technical and policy dialogue was held on 20 January 2026, co-organised with the General Secretariat for the National Social Protection Council (GSNSPC). The dialogue brought together approximately 50 representatives from the NSPC, including senior management and technical units, to discuss the role of HTA and strategic purchasing in strengthening social health protection systems and advancing universal health coverage (UHC).

The dialogue featured regional and international perspectives, with speakers sharing country and global experiences. These included Ms Anne Julienne Genuino-Marfori (Philippines), Dr Panji F. Hadisoemarto (Indonesia), Assistant Professor Shiyi Tu (China), Dr Neha Purohit (India), and Professor Wang Hong (global experience), alongside NUS faculty including Associate Professor Alec Morton and Assistant Professor Kiesha Prem, and with the NSPC on Cambodia’s experience. Discussions focused on how HTA and strategic purchasing can be applied to improve efficiency, equity, and sustainability in health financing, in the efforts to advance UHC.

The visit concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and the GSNSPC. The MoU was signed by Professor Teo Yik Ying, Vice President (Global Health), National University of Singapore, and Dean, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, and His Excellency Dr Chan Narith, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Secretary General of the GSNSPC.

The MoU formalises a shared commitment to collaboration in policy-directed research and analysis, and capacity strengthening, building on prior and ongoing engagements, including the political economy of health tax reforms, as well as technical collaboration on HTA and strategic purchasing. The signing ceremony was presided over by Her Excellency Pen Sopakphea, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Chair of the Executive Committee of the NSPC, with Ms Bernice Seow, First Secretary (Political) from the Embassy of Singapore in Cambodia.

The MoU provides a platform for strengthened cooperation in research, capacity strengthening, and policy support, as Cambodia continues its journey towards UHC. Through these engagements, NUS reaffirms its commitment to supporting evidence-informed decision-making and health systems strengthening in Cambodia and the wider region.

The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) is a practice-oriented, leadership-focused programme designed for experienced professionals who want to shape policy, drive systemic change, and lead impactful public health initiatives across Asia and beyond.

We are delighted to celebrate NUS’s ranking as 13th globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026 for Medical and Health.

The 2026 Medical and Health rankings assess universities across medicine, dentistry, nursing, and a broad range of healthcare disciplines.

At the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, we are proud to contribute to this global recognition through our research, education, and partnerships. We remain steadfast in our commitment to advancing public health in Singapore, across Asia, and globally.

The Poon Yue Association has partnered with the Seniors Action towards Greater Empowerment (SAGE) team and NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH) to launch “Living the Good Life in Chinatown”, a community initiative that celebrates ageing through culture, reflection, and intergenerational connection.

Through extensive engagement with residents, the project was shaped by nearly a year of immersion to better understand seniors’ needs beyond material support including emotional, psychological, and social well-being.

As part of the initiative, a photography workshop was organised to invite members of the public to document everyday life in Chinatown and reflect on ageing, place, and belonging. These works are now on display at the Poon Yue Association Hall, forming part of a community exhibition that preserves local stories and fosters dialogue across generations.

The Chinatown Community Museum is open to the public until 1 February, featuring weekday exhibitions and weekend programmes such as community forums, food tastings, and story-sharing sessions.

Healthier SG is transforming Singapore’s healthcare system by moving away from episodic hospital visits and anchoring care in long-term primary care relationships.

Central to this shift is the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR). Mandated under the Health Information Bill, the NEHR ensures patient information follows the individual across all care settings, which:
Strengthens continuity of care
Enhances patient safety
Drives future healthcare innovation

How can shared health records enable safer, more connected, and forward-looking care?

Hear from our Dean, Professor Teo Yik Ying, as he explains why an integrated NEHR is a transformative “game changer” for Singapore’s healthcare landscape.

We are proud to welcome our inaugural cohort of DrPH students, as you begin your academic and professional journey with us!

Our heartiest congratulations to Adjunct Associate Professor Mo Yin on her appointment as Co-Director of ADVANCE-ID, effective 1 January 2026.

ADVANCE-ID’s mission is to generate high-quality, context-relevant evidence to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, while strengthening sustainable research capacity across the region. This appointment reflects the continued growth of ADVANCE-ID and reinforces its leadership as its research programmes and regional partnerships expand.

Adjunct Associate Professor Mo Yin is a clinician-scientist specialising in infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance, with extensive experience leading large, multi-country clinical trials and research networks across Asia. Her work spans randomised trials, observational studies, methodological innovation, and policy-relevant research, supported by a strong track record in securing international funding and building regional research capacity.

We warmly welcome Adjunct Associate Professor Mo Yin to this role and look forward to her contributions to advancing the impact of ADVANCE-ID.

On 10 December 2025, the team from NUS Cambodia Programme, led by Assoc Prof Siyan Yi, attended a dissemination workshop in Lao PDR to mark the final milestone of the project titled “Developing and Piloting Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Interventions to Reduce the Incidence of Hospital-Acquired Infection in Cambodia and Lao PDR”, funded by the Reckitt Global Hygiene Institute. Assoc Prof Siyan Yi was joined by Ms Quach Van Thanh Mai and Ms Esabelle Yam Lo Yan on this trip.

Participants included representatives from national, provincial, and district hospitals involved in the project, as well as representatives from the Lao Ministry of Health, Lao TPHI, the NUS Lao Programme, and the Cambodia University of Health Sciences (UHS). Dr Dyna Khuon, Head of Public Health Unit at UHS, represented the Cambodia team and shared experiences from Cambodia to facilitate cross-country exchange and discussion.

Looking back – from development to implementation

Organised collaboratively by the Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute (Lao TPHI) and NUS Cambodia Programme, the workshop served as a platform to review the project’s results, achievements, and challenges, as well as an opportunity to discuss lessons learned and reflect on future implementation.

In their opening remarks, Assoc Prof Siyan Yi and Dr Somphou Sayasone (Deputy Director of Lao TPHI) highlighted the importance of maintaining high IPC standards in healthcare, as well as the value of collaborative efforts that support local partners, produce local evidence, and improve health systems in the local country. This was followed by the sharing of preliminary results and experiences from project development and implementation in Lao PDR and Cambodia by Dr Kanchana Thilakoun (Lao TPHI) and Dr Dyna Khuon (UHS), respectively.

Looking forward – lessons learnt for future IPC initiatives

Following the sharing of preliminary results, Dr Somphou Sayasone and Dr Kanchana Thilakoun facilitated the Q&A session where representatives from MOH and the participating hospitals shared their comments and reflections on past and future implementation of the project. The programme concluded with an award ceremony, the Hand Hygiene Champion certificates and certificates of participation were presented to the participating wards.

Collaborations for system-wide change

The event was a unique opportunity for participants to learn about IPC initiatives in both Lao PDR and Cambodia, fostering cross-country sharing and learning. Workshop participants also highlighted the importance of collaboration and systematic coordination between various levels of the health system to ensure that IPC initiatives were sustainable.

Overall, participants agreed that the project has benefited the participating hospitals in creating evidence for locally developed IPC interventions, re-focusing the priorities of the health system on IPC initiatives.

This project was funded by the Reckitt Global Hygiene Institute.