News

Young and educated men who have casual sex are less likely to use protection then older customers who visit brothels, a survey has found. The study, led by Assoc Prof Wong Mee Lian of the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. sampled 1,219 heterosexual Singaporean men on their sexual risk behaviour. Assoc Prof Wong said the men who met women online or at entertainment venues may be putting themselves at greater risk due to their spontaneous and alcohol-fuelled behaviour. Media Coverage: The Sunday Times, 18 November 2012

The major public health issues confronting us today are highly complex and require multiple levels of interventions. Public health specialists of the future will need to have a broader set of skills and perspective in order to lead the fight against the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and threat of pandemics. Dean of the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health Professor Chia Kee Seng, highlighted this point when he conducted a tutorial with both faculty and graduate students of SSHSPH and Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) through the UBD GlobalRead more

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will be reviewing guidelines to improve the removing of asbestos from its buildings. Before asbestos was banned in 1989, it was commonly used in building construction, and the material is still present in many older buildings. Dr Lim John Wah, Occupational Health Physician at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, co-authored and published a study on rising asbestos exposure. According to Dr Lim, demolition works, and the wear and tear of asbestos-containing materials can release asbestos and that asbestos-relatedRead more

A group of researchers in Singapore have devised a computer program to reduce blindness caused by severe myopia. The program is based on early and rapid detection of peripapillary atrophy (PPA), and can be used as a quick and automatic screening tool in hospitals. It was noted that in Singapore, about 9 per cent of 40 to 80 year old Chinese people suffer from severe myopia, with the rate at about 4 per cent for Indians and Malays in the same age group. The programme was a collaborative effort betweenRead more

The recently concluded 1st Singapore International Public Health Conference held in conjunction with the 7th Singapore Public Health and Occupational Medicine Conference on 1 – 2 October 2012 at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Singapore, was a resounding success. More than 500 international and local delegates from government agencies, business, research institutions, institutes of learning, healthcare agencies, multilaterals and civil society from 15 countries gathered at this two-day multi-disciplinary conference to share ideas, unearth possibilities and drive action to address current public health issues such as the burden of diabetes, infectious diseases andRead more

Our heartiest congratulations to Professor David Koh who has received the inaugural Outstanding Singapore International Volunteer (SIV) Award from the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) for past international SIF missions in occupational health and occupational dermatology with colleagues from organisations and agencies, including Ministry of Manpower, National Skin Centre, National University of Singapore, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Ministry of Defence and Shell. The SIV award – considered the highest volunteer award conferred by SIF – is a new award which honours and recognises the contributions of outstanding volunteers who have taken time to shareRead more

A collaborative effort between researchers from the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, led by Associate Professor Mikael Hartman, and the University Malaya Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur revealed that Malay breast cancer patients have worst survival odds compared to Chinese and Indian women. They were also diagnosed younger with larger tumours and at later stages, and also had more malignant and aggressive tumours compared to Chinese and Indians with similar tumour sizes. Researchers pointed to possible reasons such as differences in genetic make-up, as well as socio-economic, lifestyleRead more

The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) established the Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research (CIDER) in February 2011 to develop the capability and expertise in dealing with infectious diseases. MINDEF’s Chief Defence Scientist, Professor Quek Tong Boon, graced the official launch of CIDER on 27 July 2012 at the NUS University Hall Auditorium, as the Guest-of-Honour. On the reason behind the establishment of CIDER, Prof Quek said: “As infectious diseases respect no borders, organisations or entities, a coordinated approach is necessary for us to effectivelyRead more

A study conducted by researchers from the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at NUS showed that supervised therapy can help stroke patients recover faster. The study, led by Associate Professor Gerald Koh, found that 2 out of 3 stroke patients do not complete therapy after their discharge, and those who performed exercises only at home recovered more slowly as compared to those who underwent supervised therapy. Media Coverage: The Straits Times, 29 March 2012, Thursday TODAY, 29 March 2012, Thursday Berita Harian, 29 March 2012, Thursday

The NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and the Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 31 October 2011, fostering a partnership anchored on research and education in areas of infectious disease control, health systems, and chronic diseases with an Asian focus. The two institutions will cooperate strategically in areas including joint academic and scientific activities, including a diabetes symposium, CEO breakfast and the NIHA Forum, underlined by a shared interest in translational research and facilitating information sharing with the public that will truly tackleRead more

The NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 31 October 2011, fostering a partnership anchored on research and education in areas of infectious disease control, health systems, and chronic diseases with an Asian focus. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Dean of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, Professor Chia Kee Seng and Vice Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Meidicine, Professor Anne Mills. Witnessing theRead more