The NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, together with our partner institutions Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Singapore General Hospital, is organising an essay competition for students in Singapore.
Submissions are open from 1 June to 31 August 2018. Prizes will be presented during World Antibiotic Awareness Week in November 2018.
There are two categories based on participants’ current student status:
1) Antibiotics: A Double-Edged Sword – Open to all secondary school, junior college and polytechnic students
Antibiotics are critical for human and animal health, and it is not an exaggeration to state that they are one of a few critical discoveries that have improved human health dramatically in the past century. Yet, their use in humans and animals are not without risks and trade-offs. As with all medicines, there is a potential risk of adverse effects in humans (and animals), and antibiotic resistance – a natural consequence of increasing use of antibiotics – is considered by the World Health Organization as one of the greatest threats to global health today. How should we view antibiotics and how should we use them in the future?
Click here for more information about this contest category.
2) Should I Change My Microbiome? – Open to all undergraduate students in Singapore
The microbiome comprises the entire community of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc.) in a particular environment. We have just started to explore the human microbiome and to understand its effect on health and disease. The microbiome is certainly more susceptible to change than our genetic make-up, and the impact may just be as great. Should we manipulate our microbiomes in now or in the future?
Click here for more information about this contest category.