News

Many are comparing the current 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) epidemic to the SARS outbreak in 2002­­–03, the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus (swine flu) outbreak in 2009, as well as the common cold. “…currently the 2019-nCoV is shaping up to look less like SARS-CoV, and more like a virulent form of the influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 virus, although more data is required before we can be completely certain,” said Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, Programme Leader (Infectious Diseases). He added that with the information that is currently available, the infection rate of 2019-nCoVRead more

As of 2pm on 2 February 2020, there have been no new confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV infection in Singapore. All the confirmed cases have recent travel history to Wuhan, and there are currently no reports of local transmission here. “There is a good chance that there will be no, or very limited, community spread in Singapore if we keep up with what we are doing thus far,” said Professor Chia Kee Seng. “If there is no or little community transmission, wearing masks on public transport is unnecessary,” he said, inRead more

The NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) on 29 January 2020. UNAIDS Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Mr Eamonn Murphy, and Dean, Professor Teo Yik Ying, signed the memorandum of understanding at a ceremony on the sidelines of the Prince Mahidol Award Conference 2020 in Bangkok. The MoU will strengthen both parties’ collaboration and see them combine efforts to end the AIDS epidemic in Asia, the Pacific and in Singapore. The agreementRead more

The new coronavirus has infected nearly 600 people in China and claimed 17 lives. It is in the same family as the viruses that cause SARS and MERS. The symptoms are similar to influenza, in that there is cough and fever, but there is pneumonia in people infected with the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Considering the measures currently taken by authorities, as well as lessons from the SARS epidemic, Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, Programme Leader (Infectious Diseases), says that the 2019-nCoV is unlikely to become a global pandemic. “ThisRead more

The Ministry of Health, Singapore (MOH) announced on 22 January 2020 that it has set up a ministerial task force to deal with the novel coronavirus. “It is inevitable that we will see an imported case sooner or later,” said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, adding that this is because of the evolving situation and the high volume of traffic in and out of Singapore. He said, “I think it’s better for us to pre-empt some of these potential risks and do what we can to mitigate the risk. …Read more

The School is pleased to share that PhD student Mr Rayner Tan is now on the editorial board of the prestigious journal, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI). He joins as part of the editorial team for its new series, Perspectives. Our warmest congratulations, Mr Tan! Perspectives is a new section of STI targeted toward clinicians and translational researchers. Each Perspectives issue identifies interesting articles and proposes the implications of each article for current or near-future clinical practice. Aimed to be a quick and informative read, Perspectives will be published for openRead more

The new coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan continues to develop with over 400 cases in China and other countries, including Thailand, Japan, South Korea and US. With more people infected by the virus and confirmation that the bug can be transmitted from human to human, the Ministry of Health, Singapore (MOH) has issued a health advisory, urging the public to remain vigilant and adopt good personal hygiene practices. Travellers and members of the public should adopt the following precautions at all times: Avoid contact with live animals including poultry and birds;Read more

We are pleased to share that PhD student Ms Tan Sok Teng was awarded the Equity Initiative Fellowship. Congratulations, Ms Tan! Launched in 2016, the Equity Initiative (EI) Fellowship programme nurtures and empowers young leaders to pursue and advocate social justice for health in the ASEAN region. The programme is designed to bring together a diverse group of professionals who have demonstrated commitment, dedication and enthusiasm for leading change for health equity. Like other world regions, Southeast Asian societies are confronting many health equity challenges: ensuring universal access to primaryRead more

In 2019, Singapore saw its worst dengue outbreak in over three years, with 16,000 cases and 20 deaths. Assistant Professor Vincent Pang, Director, Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research (CIDER), said there is likely to be a similar outbreak in the middle of the year. This is especially so if many residents choose to visit countries with their own dengue epidemics during the warm and rainy season. Mr Chew Ming Fai, Director-General of Public Health, National Environment Agency (NEA), attributed the spike in dengue cases last year to threeRead more

A healthy diet remains the primary means to prevent chronic diseases among those with prediabetes. Dr Raymond Lim, Senior Lecturer, and Associate Professor Wong Mee Lian conducted a study with 433 pre-diabetic patients to assess factors associated with fulfilling the Health Promotion Board’s My Healthy Plate recommendation, and to explore reasons for their behaviour. It was found that only 57.3 per cent of the patients followed the recommendations, of which nearly 90 per cent of the respondents were married. Married individuals were more likely to report meeting the recommendations comparedRead more

The number of men who smoke and use tobacco is on the decline for the first time, marking a significant shift in a global epidemic that has killed tens of millions of people over past decades, according to a newly released World Health Organization (WHO) report. The change in global smoking trends also demonstrates how government-led efforts are working to “save lives, protect health, beat tobacco”, said WHO in the same report. WHO also said Southeast Asia has the highest rates of tobacco use, but it expects the rates to declineRead more

The recent news report (17 Dec) of a case of active tuberculosis (TB) found earlier this month at a PAP Community Foundation (PCF) Sparkletots preschool in Bukit Batok took some members of the public, who were under the impression that the disease has long been eradicated in Singapore, by surprise. Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, Infectious Diseases Programme Leader, gives us the lowdown on tuberculosis, how it is transmitted, symptoms, the difference between active and latent TB, and why it remains endemic, or regularly found and common in Singapore. Read onRead more