News

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

Over the last 50 years since its founding, the Singapore Cancer Registry (SCR) has captured data on all cancers by histological diagnosis, as well as notification by doctors through clinical assessment. In celebration of its 50th anniversary, SCR published a commemorative monograph dedicated to its founder, the late Emeritus Professor Kanagaratnam Shanmugaratnam. Hailed as Singapore’s ‘Father of Pathology’, Prof Shanmugaratnam established the SCR and served as its Director from 1968 to 2002. He was also a world-leading expert on nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Emeritus Professor at NUS and Emeritus Consultant at theRead more

Singapore General Hospital (SGH) recently announced that a long term study it conducted has led to over 100 patients a year being taken off antibiotics after just a day, resulting in shorter hospital stays of about a week and cost savings of close to S$11,000 per patient. Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, Infectious Diseases Programme Leader, writes about the significance of the study and why we should care about how antibiotics are prescribed in Singapore hospitals. “One key way to improve antibiotic prescription in hospitals (as well as in primary care)Read more

Singaporeans currently lead the world in life expectancy, with an average life span of approximately 85 years. This, along with an ageing population, has increased the need to identify and take measures to prevent the development of common conditions associated with old age such as cognitive impairment and dementia. A healthy diet comprising high intake of plant foods and low intake of animal foods in midlife could be associated with a reduced risk of cognitive impairment, according to findings from the Singapore Chinese Health Study (SCHS). In the recent studyRead more

It was recently reported that a teenager in the United Kingdom became blind after years of living on junk food. The boy, who was described as a ‘fussy eater’, lived on food like french fries, potato chips, white bread, ham and sausages. The lack of nutrients from his diet led to visual impairment, and the boy was subsequently declared legally blind. Assistant Professor Mary Chong shared the importance of developing correct eating habits from an early age. She reminded parents that when children adopt healthy eating habits from a youngRead more

Researchers from Changi General Hospital (CGH) reviewed the quit rates of smokers from the hospital’s inpatient smoking cessation programme in relation to habits and sociodemographic factors. They found that smokers who were older, married and less dependent on nicotine were more likely to be successful in quitting. The study also found that smoking motivations (such as habitual use and psychological dependence) did not influence quit rates, and therefore do not support the use of e-cigarettes. Instead, a cold turkey method of quitting was shown to contribute to cessation success. TheRead more

Congratulations to Associate Professor Fong Ngan Phoon on receiving the Wong Hock Boon Society–SMA Charity Fund (WHBS-SMACF) Outstanding Mentor Award 2019. The award recognises A/Prof Fong for his effort and dedication in guiding his students through their research work. Medical student Joshua Chia Chin Howe, who was the student group leader for the Community Health Project titled ‘Chronic Disease Self-Management in Queenstown’, had nominated A/Prof Fong as the project’s supervisor in appreciation for his effort, dedication and impact on the group’s research. A/Prof Fong received his award at the WongRead more

Globally, around 700,000 people die each year from infections resistant to the standard drugs used to treat them, and this number is projected to rise to 10 million deaths per year unless urgent, concerted action is taken to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In this piece, Assistant Professor Clarence Tam and PhD student Ms Jane Lim illustrate the impact of AMR and the loss of effective antimicrobial drugs to treat infections. For example, without effective antibiotics, it will be difficult to perform advanced medical procedures that rely on antibiotics to preventRead more

Congratulations to Dr Andre Matthias Müller on winning the Young Investigator Traveller Award at the 51st Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) Conference. The Award encourages aspiring investigators to conduct quality research in public health.

The School congratulates Professor Saw Seang Mei, Dr Pavan Kumar Verkicharla and Professor Kyoko Ohno-Matsui on receiving the Bernard Gilmartin OPO Award. Presented by the College of Optometrists, the Bernard Gilmartin OPO Award honours the most highly regarded paper from those published in Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics in the last five years. It is one of the College’s prestigious Research Excellence Awards that recognise achievement and celebrate outstanding contributions to research in the fields of optometry, optics and vision science. Prof Saw, Dr Verkicharla and Prof Ohno-Matsui’s award-winning review paper,Read more

Primary care doctors play an important role at the front line in chronic disease management. Yet their relationships with patients have not evolved much over the decades, even as technology, payment systems and delivery models continue to evolve dramatically. Most patients still view the relationship as one where they list static updates on their condition to their doctors, then passively receive instructions on how to manage the condition until the next visit. “Doctors continuing to give generic instructions without a deeper level of behavioural context and insights into a patient’sRead more

Dr Leung recently retired from his role as the longest-serving Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority (HK HA). He studied Medicine at the University of New South Wales, Australia and took the Master of Science (Occupational Medicine) programme here in NUS. The fundamentals of public health and occupational medicine that he learnt during this time led to a lifelong appreciation that medicine is more than just treating patients. More importantly, it is about taking care of communities and the whole of society. This inspired Dr Leung’s career, settingRead more