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Organised by the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, the Singapore Chinese Health Study: A Legacy for the Future symposium was held on 2 November 2017. Dr Mimi Yu, co-founding principal investigator of the Singapore Chinese Health Study (SCHS), was presented the inaugural SSHSPH Distinguished Service Award by Dean, Professor Chia Kee Seng and Emeritus Professor Lee Hin Peng, who was also the Study’s co-founding principal investigator. The award recognises Dr Yu for her commitment and contributions to public health as well as her devotion to mentoring the next generation of publicRead more

On 1 November, Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State for Health and Transport, announced the National Strategic Action Plan against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). AMR is an era-defining global public health danger that occurs when microorganisms (such as bacteria, viruses or parasites) evolve and grow resistant to the antimicrobial drugs used to treat the infections they cause in humans and animals. “The extreme scenario of AMR – of having no effective antibiotics to treat infections, will bring us to a post-antibiotic era where simple infections may kill. Even today,Read more

“Antibiotics are not always the best treatment for infections,” write Assistant Professor Clarence Tam and PhD student Jane Lim in their opinion piece for The Straits Times. The cost of antimicrobial resistance, including antibiotic resistance, will be detrimental if nothing is done about it now. Drug-resistant infections could kill 7 million people annually by 2050 if no immediate action is taken, with half of those deaths occurring in Asia. Such infections increase healthcare costs by prolonging hospital stays and requiring treatment with more expensive drugs, and without effective antibiotics, we could evenRead more

According to the National Health Surveillance Survey 2013, only 15.2 per cent of Singaporeans aged 50 and above were vaccinated for influenza the year before. A separate audit at Bukit Batok Polyclinic in 2013 showed that uptake of the pneumococcal vaccine among at-risk adults with chronic obstructive lung disease and asthma was only 5.9 per cent. Noting these figures, Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, who leads the School’s Antimicrobial Resistance Programme and UHS-SPH Integrated Research Programme (USIRP), shared, “I would even propose providing the influenza vaccine free to adults and childrenRead more

Over the weekend, the Ministry of Health announced the National Adult Immunisation Schedule (NAIS) which lists who should be vaccinated and when. NAIS also includes immunisation for diseases such as the flu and hepatitis B. What’s more, adult Singaporeans can use up to $400 of their Medisave account for these vaccinations. “Vaccines remain one of the most cost-effective ways of preventing infectious diseases,” said Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, who leads the School’s Antimicrobial Resistance Programme and UHS-SPH Integrated Research Programme (USIRP). “The important public health message here is that vaccinesRead more

While reducing mosquito breeding grounds and involving the community are key to limiting transmission of dengue fever, the role of the primary healthcare system must not be underestimated, urge Assistant Professor, Dr Vincent Pang, Director of the Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research, and Professor Leo Yee Sin, Director of the Institute of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, and Clinical Director of Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s Communicable Disease Centre. In addition to providing clinical care, primary healthcare doctors play an important role in contributing to surveillance, research and prevention of dengue. StartingRead more

“We need a mindset change — we have always valued wealth over health. Now we have to pursue both health and wealth together,” said Dean, Professor Chia Kee Seng at the biennial Singapore HEALTH (Helping Employees Achieve Life-time Health) Award 2017. Initiated by the Health Promotion Board (HPB), the award recognises organisations with strong commitment to promote workplace health. This year, 223 firms and individuals received awards at the ceremony, which was held on Tuesday, 10 October at the ITE College Central campus in Ang Mo Kio. In his speech, Prof ChiaRead more

In addition to overeating and lack of physical activity, smoking is one of many Singaporeans’ poor lifestyle choices and habits, said Dean, Professor Chia Kee Seng. While the country has made significant progress in smoking control, the proportion of smokers among Singaporeans has plateaued over the past 10 to 15 years, indicating a significant number of new smokers each year. “The majority of them are young, and the tobacco industry is targeting them precisely because research has shown that if an individual does not start smoking by the age of 21,Read more

Gestational diabetes (GDM) affects 20 to 30 per cent of pregnant women in Singapore – one of the highest rates in the world. These women not only face a higher risk of developing diabetes post-pregnancy, but are also more likely to give birth to heavy babies who are at higher risk of developing childhood obesity. To help pregnant women with GDM better manage their condition, a smartphone app that can track their weight and blood glucose levels was jointly developed by the National University Hospital (NUH), medical technology firm JanaRead more

Periods of extreme blood sugar levels put diabetics at significantly higher risk of developing serious complications, according to a recent study by Assistant Professor Kavita Venkataraman and her team. Using more than 11 years of data on blood glucose levels from over 6,000 diabetics aged 52 to 67, the study revealed that the impact of high glucose levels in the body might be irreversible. Even if sugar levels improve later on, a duration of very high blood glucose level will still double to triple a patient’s likelihood of developing complications like heartRead more

The smoking prevalence in Singapore has dropped significantly from 20 per cent in 1984 to 13.3 per cent in 2013. However, it has plateaued over the last 10 years, indicating that the proportion of new smokers has gone up to ‘replace’ those who have died from or quit smoking. This means more aggressive efforts are needed to stop people from picking up the habit. Seeing as eighty per cent of smokers are addicted before the age of 21, the Bill tabled early this week to raise the minimum legal ageRead more

A recent study led by Professor Tai E Shyong and Assistant Professor Dr Sim Xueling, along with other researchers, has discovered, for the first time in Asians, the PCSK9 gene that affects cholesterol. The gene had only been identified in Europeans until now. Analysing nearly 69,500 individuals from 6 countries (Philippines, Taiwan, China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore), the five-year study is the largest in Asia to identify genes that influence blood cholesterol levels. Discovery of the PCSK9 gene could help in the management of heart disease in Asia by allowing for gene-targetedRead more