News

We are delighted to announce that the School has been awarded the Commendation Award at the NUS Safety & Health Awards 2023. This is in recognition of the School's commitment to safety by the progressive implementation of the DHMS elements. The award ceremony was held on 23 Oct 2023 at the SFAH Auditorium. Senior Assistant Director, Mr Ezra Chiam represented the School and received the award from Prof Chen Tsuhan, Deputy President (Innovation & Enterprise). A big thank you to NUS for recognising our efforts, and congratulations to all fellow awardees who are making strides in promoting safety and health.

Our heartiest congratulations to A/P Alex Cook who will be promoted to a Full Professor with effect from 1 January 2024. Alex has made significant impact in his research both at the national and international levels especially in applying quantitative methodologies to infectious disease control. His impressive research has earned him the reputation of being able to influence policy makers with his expert knowledge and also a leading figure in infectious disease epidemiology globally. In addition, the impact of his work on public health during COVID-19 has been frequently highlighted. Alex is also currently the Vice Dean of Research and leads the Research Office in SSHSPH to make valuable contributions to matters related to research.

Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung recently said that the government is looking at using behavioural economics to nudge people to adopt healthier lifestyles, such as by differentiating insurance premiums between those with and without appropriate lifestyles.

According to World Health Organisation figures, Singapore is one of four countries in the world where 100 per cent of the population can have access to safely managed sanitation facilities. Despite our remarkable success in universal sanitation, a gap exists in the standards of toilets in certain public spaces - hawker centres and coffee shops. As vital community hubs and popular eating spots, maintaining high standards of cleanliness in these establishments is crucial for public health and the overall image of Singapore's sanitation achievements.

With the global antibiotic pipeline running dry, we face a rising tide of antimicrobialresistance, making common bacterial infections increasingly difficult to treat. This issue is particularly acute in Asia, including Singapore, where tens of thousands of drug-resistant infections are reported annually, resulting in hundreds of deaths. In conjunction with World AMR Awareness Week, Prof Hsu Li Yang, Assoc Prof Wee Hwee Lin and Prof Joanne Yoong discuss the urgent need for innovative strategies in antibiotic development.

Currently, the illicit cigarette market in Singapore is at less than 4 per cent of the total cigarette market. When it comes to vaping, 4916 people were caught vaping in 2022, which makes up only 0.08 per cent of the total population. So what is the underlying reason for the common narrative that the illicit market is rampant due to high taxes and strict regulations? Hear from Assistant Professor Yvette van der Eijk as she sheds light on how narratives are influenced by Big Tobacco companies and the importance of maintaining strict regulations for effective tobacco control.

We are delighted to share that Adjunct Professor Leo Yee Sin was listed as one of the world's most prominent researchers in the Cross-Field category, based on the Highly Cited Researchers 2023 List published by Clarivate. Researchers in this list have each authored multiple highly cited papers which rank in the top 1% by citations for their respective fields and publication year in the Web of Science over the past decade.

Join us for the online symposium on modelling & policy making in Singapore on 13 Nov 2023. This symposium will bring together the views from both ends of the policy maker – modeller spectrum to identify best practices for a modelling community that provides valuable support to policy making during outbreaks in South East Asia.

Health Minister, Mr Ong Ye Kung, announced that Singapore's looking at ways to prevent insured citizens from overspending on unnecessary medical treatments. Speaking at the 15th Singapore Economic Policy Forum, Minister Ong explained that such wastage could result in higher healthcare insurance premiums. And if it is a market based system, those with lower incomes may have to forgo their private insurance coverage. Thus, the Ministry of Health is considering differentiating insurance premiums between those with and without appropriate lifestyles.

The escalating prevalence of diabetes in Singapore is akin to a silent takeover, with an expected increase of 200,000 diabetic residents above 40 by 2030 from about 400,000 today. As there is presently no cure for diabetes, keeping it under control is essential. Hear from Prof Chia Kee Seng, Founding Dean of NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, and Assoc Prof Kavita Venkataraman as they weigh in on who is most at risk of diabetes and the direct and indirect costs of this chronic condition.

On 9 Oct 2023, Prof David Koh and Assoc Prof Ng Wee Tong visited the University of Occupational & Environmental Health (UOEH) in Japan on behalf of the School. The primary purpose was to discuss the operationalisation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the School and UOEH. The MOU signifies both institution's collective commitment to promoting collaboration and the exchange of information on scientific topics of mutual interest within the realm of occupational health and safety.