News

We are delighted to announce that Assoc Prof Adeline Seow and Asst Prof Jasper Tromp have been awarded the NUHS Teaching Excellence Award 2024. This prestigious recognition celebrates their steadfast commitment to education and their tireless efforts in nurturing the next generation of publichealth professionals.

The Singapore Red Cross (SRC) presented the School with the "Friend of SRC Award" on 2 September 2024. The award was received by Vice Dean (Education), Associate Professor Liow Chee Hsiang, and Honorary Visiting Associate Professor Sri Chander s/o Tikamdas Nebhraj, from Guest-of-Honour, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. This prestigious recognition is awarded to individuals, groups, or organisations that have contributed their time, resources, or expertise to advance the mission of SRC.

Congratulations to Asst Prof Rayner Tan on being selected for the 6th ASEAN Youth Fellowship 2024. Launched to commemorate Singapore’s Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2018, the Fellowship is an exclusive leadership development programme organised by the National Youth Council (NYC) in partnership with Singapore International Foundation (SIF) to grow and connect ASEAN young leaders. As an ASEAN Youth Fellow, Rayner will play a significant role in making a positive difference in regional communities and forge valuable networks to bring the ASEAN community forward.

In 2023, Singapore recorded 322 suicides, a notable decrease from the previous year. Despite this progress, the complexity and multifaceted nature of suicide as a "wicked problem" underscores the ongoing need for focused attention. The issue remains under-addressed due to stigma and a lack of widespread understanding of its severity. What actions can be taken, and what are the essentials for effective prevention? Hear from Assistant Professor Rayner Tan and other esteemed experts as they advocate for a more comprehensive suicide prevention strategy.

Singapore has recorded 2102 COVID-19 deaths, a figure considered low by public health experts. The age-standardised death rate, an indicator that adjusts for an aging population to allow fair comparisons of mortality rates over time rose from 5.2 per 1000 residents in 2020 to a peak of 5.9 in 2022, before settling back to 5.6 in 2023. Does the age-standardized death rate accurately reflect Singapore's pandemic response compared to other affluent nations? Hear from Prof Teo Yik Ying and Prof Alex Cook as they share their opinions on this.

Assistant Professor Jasper Tromp was conferred the Young Researcher Award at the NUS University Awards 2024. The annual Awards pay tribute to members of the NUS community who, through their consistently high performance and resolute commitment, raised the bar in the areas of education, research and service. The Young Researcher Award honoured promising researchers for their groundbreaking work, which holds the potential to push the boundaries of knowledge in their respective fields. Asst Prof Tromp is a renowned researcher specialising in heart failure, artificial intelligence, and health systems research. His pioneering work in applying machine learning algo

Low income families living in rental flats in Singapore typically rely on processed foods such as instant noodles and canned food as daily staples. The rising cost of food is making it even tougher for these residents to have nutritious meals with fresh vegetables and quality protein. NGOs that provide food donations to these communities are also limited by declining resources.

Just days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a global public health emergency, Thailand confirmed Asia’s first case of the new deadlier strain. With the virus potentially spreading more widely, Southeast Asian countries are ramping up precautionary border screenings.

The rapid spread of the new mpox strain, clade 1b, in Africa led the World Health Organisation to declare a public health emergency last week. In response, countries across Asia are ramping up surveillance as Thailand reports its first suspected case of this more dangerous variant. Countries are now tightening health screenings at borders, closely monitoring arrivals from African states hardest hit by the virus. Hear from Prof Hsu Li Yang as he discusses the risk of clade 1b importations into Southeast Asia.

The inaugural Global Health Thought Leadership Dialogue; Small Countries, Global Impact: Shaping the Future of Global Health was held on 13 August 2024 at the NUS Shaw Foundation Alumni House. Jointly organised by the NUS Global Health Office and NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, the dialogue features a distinguished panel of global health experts and thought leaders, coming together to discuss the role that small countries can play in the global health landscape.

"Preservatives", "artificial flavouring", "high fructose corn syrup". There words are regulars in the ingredient list of ultra-processed foods that we will never find in fresh, natural foods. Although these additives improve the shelf life and taste of foods, they harm our health just like cigarettes for this generation. Moreover, they are so smartly designed and marketed that we often ignore the associated dangers. Beyond the impact on individual health, these foods worsen social inequities as they make up a significant portion of the diet for low-income groups.