News

Thank you to everyone who joined us for “Climate Change and Public Health – the Environment’s Impact on Infectious Diseases” on 12 November at Park Avenue Rochester Hotel. Together, we:

• Raised awareness of climate-driven infectious disease risks across Asia and Europe
• Fostered cross-regional dialogue to compare vulnerabilities and adaptation strategies
• Bridged science and policy with evidence-based insights and practical approaches
• Examined strategic responses for resilient public health systems
• Built networks among researchers, policymakers, and practitioners

Our appreciation to Ambassador Beata Stoczyńska (ASEF), Mr Hotta Toru (Embassy of Japan in Singapore), and our expert panel: Prof Fredolin Tangang (Universiti Brunei Darussalam), Ms Sasha Mosky (European Environment Agency), Dr Chang Chia-Chen (National University of Singapore), and Dr Thilaka Chinnayah (WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific), moderated by Associate Prof Yann Boucher (NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health).

This was ASEF’s second collaborative event with NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, building on last year’s health security–focused programme. Thank you for helping us deepen this vital climate–health conversation.

The Occupational Health Education & Research Unit (OHERU) organised the Designated Workplace Doctors (DWD) Conference 2025 on 8 Nov 2025.

Now in its second year, this one-day programme brought together DWDs and interested occupational safety and health professionals for refreshers on essential practice topics and updates on evolving challenges in occupational medicine.

Highlights included workshops on clinical examinations for statutory medical examinations, engaging talks by Occupational Medicine Specialists from our public hospitals, and insightful sessions and updates from the Ministry of Manpower. OHERU also welcomed vendor displays by Uvex, Ansell, and 3M, which showcased a range of personal protective equipment (PPE) and practical guidance on selecting appropriate PPE.

Thank you to all speakers, partners, and participants for a strong showing! OHERU look forward to building on this momentum in 2026.

On November 4th at the British Academy in London, ADVANCE-ID welcomed a unique gathering of global experts in antibiotic access. With representatives from pharmaceutical development and manufacturing, international drug regulators, law and policy, healthcare professionals, global health actors, NGOs and patient advocates, participants shared their experiences working in antibiotic access and highlighted urgent challenges and priorities in their field.

“There are no borders for AMR action.”

The session attendees heard talks from clinicians and pharmacists on their experience accessing novel antibiotics and diagnostics in their hospitals. From regulators and NGOs, we learned about past and ongoing programs to facilitate equitable access to antibiotics, the challenges faced, and the lessons learned. We also heard insights from funders and pharmaceutical manufacturers on the financial pitfalls of antibiotic development and the barriers to market access in LMICs. Most strikingly, we had the opportunity to hear from patient advocates on their experience trying to access unregistered antibiotics in an LMIC healthcare system, demonstrating the painful uncertainty and human cost of inequitable antibiotic access.

“What does it mean for products to be designed with LMICs in mind?”

Particularly insightful were the panel discussions with perspectives from regulators, funders, pharmaceutical industry representatives, and academic researchers. The first discussion, on identifying bottlenecks in the AMR pipelines, lack of regulatory reliance, loss of research and development knowledge in industry, and the difficulty of incentivising market entry in small countries. The second discussion, on identifying key stakeholders and opportunities for action, illustrated the importance of considering LMIC contexts from Day One of product development, the need for coordinated leadership, and the necessity of unified efforts across sectors.

“If you had a magic wand, what would you change?”

Following these talks, we broke out into expert discussion groups with the goal of identifying specific barriers and solutions for each of the five pillars identified by the Roadmap to Access to Newer Antibiotics in Asia: 1) regulatory aspects and clinical trials, 2) patient advocacy and ethics 3) improve surveillance for data generation 4) commercialisation of drugs and procurement and 5) improved infrastructure in antibiotic stewardship, infection prevention and control and diagnostics which should be primary to new drug introduction.

We aim to synthesize and publish these invaluable expert insights on the Roadmap that can guide action on AMR access, highlighting the ways in which each stakeholder has a critical role to play and catalysing the step from discussion to action.

“Who can help me?”

There was a resoundingly clear takeaway from this workshop: AMR action must be multisectoral. By bringing together the key stakeholders from across domains, we hope to unite our efforts and identify opportunities for collaboration. As Dr. Mo Yin asked our participants to consider, “Think about one or two things that you can do. If you can’t do it on your own, look across the room and think, ‘who can help me?’

We leave this gathering with a renewed perspective and a unified purpose: to work within and across our domains to drive sustainable and equitable antibiotic access. Most importantly, we leave with new partnerships to pave the way forward together.

We are proud to announce that Professor David L. Paterson and Associate Professor Luo Nan have been named among Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers 2025.

This prestigious recognition is awarded to researchers whose work ranks in the top 1% by citations worldwide, reflecting their significant influence and sustained contributions to advancing science and public health.

The School is truly proud of their achievements, dedication, and commitment to excellence in public health research and education.

Please join us in congratulating our esteemed faculty members on this outstanding accomplishment!

Private insurers provide Integrated Shield Plans to help Singaporeans manage large medical expenses, but could more coverage lead to rising healthcare costs?

While stronger regulation might help control costs and improve efficiency, it could also push Singapore’s healthcare system towards a more standardised model, reducing patients’ freedom to choose how and where they receive care. Meanwhile, the fee-for-service system may encourage additional tests or treatments that raise costs without significantly improving outcomes.

Hear from Assoc Prof Alec Morton and Asst Prof Cynthia Chen as they share what this means for the future of healthcare in Singapore.

Photo credit: Channel News Asia

On 4–5 November, the School, together with Assoc Prof Wee Tong, attended the Fifth Forum of WHO Collaborating Centres (CCs), which focused on strengthening partnerships to advance health, equity, and resilience across the region.

The forum supports the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region’s new vision, Weaving Health for Families, Communities and Societies, under the Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW14).

A series of interactive pre-forum activities were also held to engage WHO officers and CC representatives. These sessions aimed to build a shared understanding of the new regional vision and GPW14, review WHO CC policies, and foster dialogue on future directions.

In a world where AI and data redefine how health systems operate, learning how to extract meaning, act ethically, and lead with empathy is what sets you apart. Postgraduate education today must move beyond knowledge accumulation to judgement, insight and human connection.

At NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, our programmes empower professionals to lead change across health systems, policy, and research:

🎓 Master of Public Health (MPH) – Designed for professionals ready to navigate complex public-health systems. Students learn not just epidemiology and biostatistics, but how to interpret insights, communicate across cultures and lead ethically.

🎓 MSc in Health Economics & Outcomes Research (MScHEOR) – A programme built for the era of data and value in healthcare. Graduates gain skills in cost-effectiveness, real-world data, market access and bridging research to policy and practice.