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One in nine Singaporeans has diabetes. Among those aged over 60 years old, three in 10 are diabetic. However, this disease does not just affect the old, and more young Singaporeans are being diagnosed with it as well. In his National Day Rally speech on 20 August 2017, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addressed Singapore’s War on Diabetes. “It is precisely because you are not worried that I am worried,” PM Lee said, “It has become a serious problem.” He suggested four ways for individuals to play their part inRead more

Singapore has the second highest proportion of diabetics among developed nations, with more than 10 per cent of Singaporeans affected by the disease. Latest projections say the figure could balloon if nothing is done to address its causes, including consuming too much sugar. Currently, Singaporeans consume an average of 12 teaspoons of sugar daily, more than twice the international recommendation of 5 teaspoons a day. Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries to tax sugary drinks, which could lower consumption and reduce obesity and Type 2 diabetes, andRead more

Following Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Message on 8 August 2017, in which he highlighted Singapore’s war on diabetes, Dr Mary Chong and Assoc Prof Rob M van Dam share why Singaporeans are more vulnerable to Type 2 diabetes and what can be done to reduce the risk of developing this insidious disease. They emphasise the importance of eating a balanced diet—which involves more than just eating less carbohydrates—and adopting a more physically active lifestyle, e.g. taking the stairs instead of the lift each day. Media Coverage: Commentary: Love of food, lackRead more

Singapore has one of the world’s highest rates for childhood myopia, with the average age of onset at 8.5 years. The myopia rate has increased dramatically over the past few decades, especially among those who started primary school in the 1980s — after Singapore’s independence post-1965 and with the introduction of the new education system in 1979. These changes, together with increasing intensive schooling, may have contributed to the increase in myopia prevalence, says Professor Saw Seang Mei from the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, in her recent published studyRead more

The whole-of-society strategy for Zika control may have helped reduce the number of dengue cases in Singapore since the beginning of this year. But this is no reason for us to let up in our continuing community efforts battling dengue and its primary vector, the Aedes mosquito, say Dr Vincent Pang, Assistant Professor, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, and Director, Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research (NUS) and Associate Professor Lim Poh Lian, Senior Consultant in Department of Infectious Diseases in Institute of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, andRead more

Congratulations to Prof Teo Yik Ying for being appointed new Dean of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore! Prof Teo, who has been the School’s Vice Dean (Research) since 2013, has been appointed the next SSHSPH Dean. Professor Teo Yik Ying (left) will succeed Professor Chia Kee Seng (right) as the next Dean of NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health from 1 January 2018. Media Coverage:  Stats expert to head NUS School of Public Health, The Straits Times, 11 August 2017 NUS appoints Professor TeoRead more

Congratulations to Dr Farah Shiraz, Senior Post Doctoral Fellow, on receiving the 2017 Robert L. Kane Research Award at the 21st IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics held on 23 – 27 July 2017 in San Francisco, USA. The award is named after the late Dr Robert Kane who was one of the world’s leading researchers on ageing and inspired the creation of EASYCare 28 years ago. Dr Shiraz gave an oral presentation on the development of a Risk Screening tool created in Singapore, which helps assess biological, psychologicalRead more

Think recreational gambling is harmless? Don’t bet on it. The thrill, excitement and anticipation of striking the slot machine jackpot at casinos can be addictive, especially to elderly gamblers, explains Adjunct Associate Professor, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, and director of Institute of Mental Health’s research division, Mythily Subramaniam. Media Coverage: The irresistible lure of the jackpot room and problem gambling among the elderly, Channel NewsAsia, 31 July 2017

The Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research (CIDER) recently hosted a lunch symposium on 21 July 2017 at the 12th annual Public Health and Occupational Medicine (PHOM) Conference featuring invited speakers, Drs I Nyoman Kandun (Indonesia) and Do Thuy Trang (Vietnam). The event aimed to update participants on regional surveillance systems and initiatives to prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease threats, as well as to promote academic partnerships and surveillance network between local and regional organisations. Dr I Nyoman Kandun is currently the Program Director of Indonesian Field Epidemiology TrainingRead more

Recent research suggests three cups of coffee a day keeps the doctor away. Assoc Prof Rob M van Dam evaluates this theory as well as examines the benefits and concerns surrounding coffee. Media Coverage: Coffee, a healthy drink or an unhealthy addiction?, Channel NewsAsia, 27 July 2017 Is Coffee Good For You?, The New York Times, 13 February 2020 That cup of joe: Friend or foe?, The Straits Times, 19 February 2020

Our heartiest congratulations to Professor David Koh, who was awarded the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award by the College of Public Health & Occupational Physicians (CPHOP), Academy of Medicine, Singapore! He received the award from guest of honour, Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Transport, at the 12th annual Public Health and Occupational Medicine Conference held 21-23 July 2017, at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Singapore. With Singapore’s ongoing “war on diabetes”, the battle against increasing youth obesity as well as continuing efforts toRead more

The NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) co-organised the NUS-MIT Healthcare Analytics Symposium and Datathon 2017 on 30 June – 2 July 2017 with Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) Singapore as their industrial collaborator. Held for the first time in Singapore, the event gathered over 200 local and international clinicians, data scientists, software engineers and innovators to strengthen cross-disciplinary collaborations and explore how data analytics could be more effectively used in healthcare systems.   Dr Mengling ‘Mornin’ Feng, Organising Chairperson andRead more