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Are all Japanese dishes equally healthy? Dr Mary Chong gives us the lowdown on what constitutes a healthy meal, and tips on making your next dining out experience a more nutritious one. Media coverage: 少而多 日料健康吃法, 早报现在/zbNOW, 13 July 2017

Although the number of adults smoking in Singapore fell progressively from 23 per cent in 1977 to 13.3 per cent in 2013, it has hit that plateau ever since. In support of the National Environment Agency’s recent announcement of a smoking ban taking place in Orchard Road next year, with smoking restricted to only allowed designated outdoor areas, Dean, Professor Chia Kee Seng, agrees that more can still be done to prevent non-smokers from picking up the habit and for smokers to quit. Media Coverage: More can be done to stubRead more

It was a memorable and joyous occasion for the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH) Class of 2017 as they marked a significant milestone in their public health journey at the SSHSPH Commencement Ceremony on 7 July 2017. Held at the University Cultural Centre, 40 Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Science (MSc) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) graduates received their degrees from Presiding Officer Mr Po’ad Mattar, NUS Pro-Chancellor. The ceremony was jointly hosted by the University Scholars Programme with participation from the Institute ofRead more

“A shift in mindsets of parents, employers and the private sector (is) needed to tackle the pressing problem of overweight and obesity in Singapore,” says Dean, Professor Chia Kee Seng, following the release of The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) recent report, “Tackling obesity in ASEAN: Prevalence, impact and guidance on interventions” in Singapore on 1 June 2017. Commissioned by the Asia Roundtable on Food Innovation for Improved Nutrition (ARoFIIN), the report states that obesity costs Singapore about a total of US$0.4-1 billion in 2016, up to 9.64 per cent (direct andRead more

Join us as the NUS S_W SWEE H_CK SCH_ _L _F PU_LIC HE_LTH supports the Singapore Red Cross’s Blood Donor Recruitment Programme’s Missing Type Campaign, happening from 04 to 09 July, 2017, to help raise awareness of the importance of blood donation in Singapore. Every day, more than 350 bags of blood are needed to save lives. This works out to an average of a bag of blood needed every four minutes. Blood is needed not only in times of emergency, but also during peacetime where it sustains the livesRead more

Singaporeans are living longer – but are we ready for old age? Singapore’s life expectancy at birth has risen from 59 to 80 years in males, and 63 to 85 years in females from 1960 to 2015. Life expectancies of 90 years and beyond in the near future might be a reality closer than we thought. Yet rising life expectancy, accompanied by a falling fertility rate and an ageing population, brings its set of challenges: the prospect of more seniors in post-retirement age, possibly outliving their financial resources; a shrinkingRead more

Singapore could hit obesity rates of 15 per cent in just seven years, according to the Health Promotion Board’s latest data on Singaporeans and obesity. The average Singaporean is getting heavier and more likely to overeat, with more young children putting on more weight. This population-wide shift toward obesity, if uncurbed, could increase the risks of diseases including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke. Is the Body Mass Index (BMI) an accurate measure of body fat or health? What should be done to change our dietary habits? How can weRead more

A study led by Associate Professor Wong Mee Lian has shown that young women who have been sexually abused are a lot more likely to become sexually active, while young men who watch pornography are six times more likely to have sex at an early age. The study which was published in Pediatrics, a medical journal, in 2009, was also co-authored by Adjunct Professor Roy Chan, Professor David Koh, Dr Tan Hiok Hee, Dr Lim Fong Seng, Dr Shanta Emmanuel and Professor George Bishop. Assoc Prof Wong noted that a significantly higherRead more

Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH) faculty and researchers have once again placed the School as the regional leader in public health education, training and research. The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) Singapore Chapter announced the result of the Society’s 2017-2018 elections with two staff from SSHSPH taking on leadership roles. The recent election marks a historic time with representation from SSHSPH faculty in the past, current and future presidential leadership role for ISPOR Singapore, and showcases our preeminent faculty members. The School congratulates Dr JohnRead more

Dengue is a disease that knows no boundaries and is estimated to affect about 390 million people every year, mostly in ASEAN and the Western Pacific regions. The figures might be underestimated as some countries do not have the necessary equipment and tools to detect the disease. As this year’s ASEAN Dengue Day theme suggests, there needs to be a “United Fight against Dengue”, where countries around the region should work together to reduce the dengue burden. There is a need for communities within countries to be more aware andRead more

Vice Dean (Academic Affairs) Associate Professor Chia Sin Eng attended the recently concluded  5th ASEAN Diagnostic Criteria for Occupational Diseases (ADCOD) on 5th to 7th June in Ayutthaya, Thailand.  The meeting was attended by several of our School’s alumni including Singapore’s representative, Dr Kenneth Choy, Deputy Director of Department Safety and Health, Ministry of Manpower; Dr Alice Lai, Head of Division of Occupational Health, Ministry of Health, Brunei Darussalam; Professor Than Htut, Occupational Medicine Professor at the University of Public Health in Yangon, Myanmar. In the opening speech by Dr Theerapol Topanthanont, Director General ofRead more

Obesity is fast becoming a worrying issue in the Southeast Asia (SEA) as rising incomes, urbanisation and globalisation made more food choices, including many less healthy ones, accessible to people in the ASEAN region. An Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)  report commissioned by the Asia Roundtable on Food Innovation for Improved Nutrition titled “Tackling obesity in ASEAN: Prevalence, impact, and guidance on interventions” stated that obesity is reducing productive years of an individual within an average of about six to 10 years. Obesity is linked to many chronic diseases such asRead more