News

The Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH) warmly congratulates our distinguished alumnus and philanthropist Professor Saw Swee Hock on receiving the President’s Award for Philanthropy (Individual category)! The award was presented by President of the Republic of Singapore, President Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam at the President’s Volunteerism and Philanthropy Awards (PVPA) ceremony on 23 October 2013, in honour of individuals and organisations who have set excellence benchmarks in encouraging the spirit of giving in Singapore. As a member of the NUS Board of Trustees, Professorial Fellow atRead more

Two professors from the National University of Singapore will ride their motorcycles 23,000km from Singapore to Sweden, to raise awareness for breast cancer research and education. Associate Professors Mikael Hartman from the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and Philip Iau from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine will embark on The Long Ride 2014 – Singapore to Swden For Breast Cancer Research to raise awareness and research funds for the disease, the most common cancer among females in Singapore. The expedition, which will begin in March 2014, will last fourRead more

Sexual health education and disease prevention programmes should also be extended to include senior citizens, and not just younger audiences, a study conducted by doctors from the Communicable Diseases Division and the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health has found. The study found that not only are there rising trends of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Acquired Immudeficiency Syndome (AIDS) and genital herpes among older people, the risk of older people contracting STIs is also higher, due in part to longer life expectancies and medical advances. Media Coverage: TODAY, 14Read more

Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have designed a free app which enables parents to tell whether their young children are colour blind. The app, available as a simple game, requires children between the ages of three and six to “catch” butterflies of matching colours by tapping on a screen. Professor Saw Seang Mei, an eye disease expert from the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said that early detection of colour blindness in children is beneficial as it may have an impact not just on theirRead more

The Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health is pleased to announce that a Community Health Project titled ‘How well do consumers understand health financing? A community-based survey of residents in a public housing estate in Singapore’led by Associate Professor Fong Ngan Phoon from the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health was awarded the Young Investigator Award – Quality, Health Services Research, Gold at the Singapore Health & Biomedical Congress 2013. Our heartiest congratulations, Sabrina and team! We are proud of your achievements and look forward to many more accomplishments in your studies andRead more

While it is most certainly a life-saving procedure, many have the misconception that a colorectal screening is expensive. Although colorectal cancer is the most common cancer in Singapore, more than 80 per cent of people interviewed cited the cost as one of the main reasons preventing them from undergoing colorectal screening, a study conducted by researchers from the National University Hospital (NUH), the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH) and the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSOM) found. One of the ways to overcome this, the studyRead more

Couch potatoes take note – time spent watching television is more harmful to your health than other sedentary activities such as reading or computer use. A study conducted by the National University of Singapore Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health has found that increased television screen time is linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure and obesity, while avid readers or computer users did not display this correlation. One big factor is the unconscious habit of unhealthy snacking while watching television. “People don’t pay that much attentionRead more

Eating more fresh fruit can lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes while drinking more fruit juice, on the other hand, will produce the reverse effect. A study conducted by researchers from Britain, US and Singapore found that people who consumed at least two servings of whole fruits like blueberries, grapes and apples, reduced their type 2 diabetes risk by up to 23 per cent.However, those who drank one or more servings of fruit juice each month increased their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 21 per cent.Read more

A night of glitz, a night of generosity, and all for a very good cause. In conjunction with the celebration of a century (1913 – 2013) of surgical excellence, the NUS Department of Surgery hosted an evening of charity dinner with wine and photo auctions in support of breast cancer research on Thursday, 22 August 2013, at the Four Seasons Ballroom, Four Seasons Hotel. With the increasing numbers of breast cancer in women being diagnosed each year, the event  – graced by guest-of-honour, Ms Ho Ching, Executive Director & ChiefRead more

The Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health is pleased to announce that Professor Saw Seang Mei received the 2013 Chew Sek Jin Memorial Lectureship Award on 20th August at the 14th International Myopia Conference, held at Asilomar, Pacific Grove, USA. Prof Saw presented the Chew Sek Jin Memorial Lecture, one of two keynote lectures, during the International Myopia Conference, speaking on “The Epidemic of Myopia in Asia and Beyond: Translations for Public Health and Clinical Practice.” The Chew Sek Jin Memorial Lecture is traditionally given by a senior myopia researcher whoseRead more

Hip fracture patients are at an increased risk of dying from causes like cancer, coronary heart disease, pnuemonia, and other prime causes, for up to five years after the fracture, according to a study conducted by the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. The study, led by Associate Professor Gerald Koh, sampled 1166 hip fracture patients from the Singapore Chinese Health Study (SCHS). Preventing osteoporosis, the weakening of bones, is also key towards preventing the likelihood of hip fracture and resulting long periods of immobility. Media Coverage: The StraitsRead more

The Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH) congratulates our distinguished alumnus and philanthropist, Professor Saw Swee Hock, on receiving the Public Service Medal, which was presented by the President of Singapore, at the National Day Awards 2013. As a Trustee of the NUS Board and Professorial Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Prof Saw has been recognised for his commendable public services rendered in Singapore and for his achievements, especially in the field of higher education. In addition to his laudable achievements in public serviceRead more