News

A strategy which targets minimising and testing for infection in pregnant women, outpatient management of patients and controlling mosquito spread is key in tackling the ongoing Zika outbreak, say Associate Professors Alex Cook and Hsu Li Yang from the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. In weighing the public health responses, the hospitalisation of those with symptoms may not be cost-effective as asymptomatic Zika-infected people, who form the bulk of Zika infections, can also transmit the virus. Simple isolation of confirmed or suspected cases, as well as for male patients to use protection duringRead more

How did the Zika virus trigger a recent outbreak in Singapore? Infectious diseases experts say this could be a mystery, as existing tests are unreliable for infections more than two weeks old. “If a compatible mosquito bites someone who has the virus in his or her blood, the mosquito becomes infected. After about a week, the virus can be detected in the mosquito’s saliva, and the mosquito can then infect all the other people that it bites,” explains Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang on the process of transmission. “If these other infectedRead more

The term ‘inclusive growth’ has come under the spotlight, with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals’ vision of eradicating poverty. But what is meant by the term ‘inclusive growth’ and who does it aim to include? Inclusive growth must include the poor at every stage, from defining the problem to developing the solution, and efforts must be centred on the needs of the poor, appropriate for their circumstances, practical and implementable. Social entrepreneurship offers a new and innovative approach to inclusive growth, tackling poverty and its attendant social and health problems,Read more

Red meat intake may lead to an increased risk of developing kidney failure, a study led by Professor Koh Woon Puay of NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and Duke-NUS Medical School has found. Substituting one serving of red meat with other sources of protein, such as poultry, fish or plant-based food, may reduce the risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) by up to 62%. The findings are based on a study of about 63,000 Chinese in Singapore, who were between the ages of 45 and 74 years during recruitment betweenRead more

The NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University on 15 January 2016. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Professor Chia Kee Seng, Dean, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, and Associate Professor Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University. The MoU was also presented by Prof Daris Theerakulpisut, Assistant Dean for International Relations and Cooperation Strategies, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University and A/Prof Teo Yik Ying, Vice Dean (Research), Saw Swee Hock SchoolRead more

It was a joyous and certainly unforgettable occasion for the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH) Class of 2016 on 10 July as they marked a significant milestone in both their lives and public health journeys at the NUS Commencement Ceremony. Held at the University Cultural Centre, this year the School graduated 52 Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Science (MSc) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) graduates. Together with the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine postgraduates, the graduating class received their degrees from Presiding OfficerRead more

Tuberculosis, or TB for short, is a bacterium typically spread by prolonged and close contact with a person with active pulmonary (lung) TB. Most contain the bacterium without any outward manifestations – also termed latent TB, which is non-infectious. A handful of people with latent TB will progress to develop active symptoms, usually months to years after the initial exposure, explains Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, Programme Leader of the Anti-microbial Resistance Programme at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. Furthermore, multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) refers to a drug-resistantRead more

Diabetes in Singapore is on the rise, and younger Singaporeans are becoming diabetic at a younger age. Research studies conducted by the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health have found that 34% of the young adults aged 24 to 35 would be susceptible to diabetes by the age of 65. “Usually, the peak of diabetes occurs from around 50 to 60 years of age,” says Professor Chia Kee Seng, Dean of the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. Although most patients still tend to be generally older,Read more

Professor John Ioannidis, C. F. Rehnborg Professor in Disease Prevention at Stanford University and Director of the Stanford Prevention Research Centre, delivered a talk as part of the School’s Public Health Thought Leadership Dialogue on Capturing the Value of Prevention on 18 May 2016. Professor Chia Kee Seng, Dean of the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, commenced the session with an introduction of the School’s Public Health Thought Leadership Dialogue and Prof Ioannidis, a renown mathematician and scientist who has been described as “one of the most influential scientistsRead more

Congratulations to Associate Professor Gerald Koh on receiving the Outstanding Educator Award 2016 at the University Awards on 29 April 2016! The University Awards represent the highest tribute to excellence in educating and nurturing talent, advancing knowledge and fostering innovation, and contributing to country and society. The Outstanding Educator Award is the highest University-level award for teaching excellence which recognises faculty who have excelled in engaging and inspiring students in their knowledge discovery. As Academic Advisor to students involved in the Neighbourhood Health Service project, and having pioneered a university-wide module to equip students withRead more

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong recently declared a war on diabetes, a disease which estimates suggest will affect 1 million Singaporeans by 2050 if nothing is done to reverse this trend. Research conducted by the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and University of Southern California also estimates the cost of diabetes in the working population to exceed $2.5 billion by 2050. MInister Gan identified five fronts on which the war on diabetes would be fought – prevention, screening, control, education and stakeholders’ engagement – shifting away fromRead more

Type 2 diabetes cost Singapore more than S$1 billion in 2010 and could soar to beyond S$2.5 billion annually by 2050 if current trends continue, says the first-ever article to predict the cost of this disease in Singapore by graduate student Ms Png May Ee, Assoc Prof Joanne Yoong, research associate Thao Phuong Phan and Dr Wee Hwee Lin at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. The article was first published in Europe’s BMC Public Health in February 2016. Among diagnosed working-age adults (20-69 years old), the study found that 26Read more