News

More time spent outdoors can help prevent the onset of myopia in children, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. Under the study, 285 children between the ages of six and 12 were placed under an “intervention group” and a “control” group, with the “intervention” group of children and their parents receiving a programme on good eye habits. Under the “intervention” group, researchers also encouraged parents to bring their children outdoors for two to three hours every week, and equipped theRead more

Elderly individuals who have experienced a significant weight loss have a higher risk of hip fracture, according to a study conducted by the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. The study was conducted using data from the Singapore Chinese Health Study and found that for middle-aged to elderly individuals, a weight loss of more than 10% was associated with a 56% higher hip fracture risk as compared to adults with a stable weight. When accounting for factors such as health conditions and Body Mass Index (BMI), it was foundRead more

From SARS to the Nipah virus, Southeast Asia as a region has experienced its fair share of infectious disease outbreaks. Furthermore, the recent Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak where secondary transmission has occurred within health facilities has exposed the weaknesses within international health responses on a global scale. Professor Richard Coker, Dr Mishal Khan and Dr Andrew Lover from the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health have proposed a new framework to assess the risk of an EVD outbreak recurring within a country, which will act as a guide on howRead more

Held on 10 – 12 September 2014 in Tianjin, People’s Republic of China, the recent Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2014 saw the School’s Dean, Prof Chia Kee Seng and Vice Dean of Research, A/Prof Teo Yik Ying presenting on the topics of The E-health Concierge and Emerging Epidemics respectively. The convention, organised by the World Economic Forum, brought together leaders from major multinationals, governments, media, academia and civil society around the world to share how innovations can improve and add value to our societies, communities and organisations. Prof Chia spoke on how customised technology can beRead more

Singaporeans have poor knowledge and awareness of stroke, according to a recent study on stroke literacy, which found that less than 50 percent of Singaporeans could correctly identify one stroke symptom. This is significant as certain treatments, such as thrombolysis, have to be carried out within a few hours of the onset of symptoms, and patients who seek treatment at the hospital at a later stage may not be able to receive the best rescue therapy treatments and prevent complications. Unlike heart attack patients who seek help immediately, stroke patientsRead more

Prof Ong Choon Nam, a toxicology expert at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) addressed the recent health scare over lead levels contained in a popular Chinese medicine. Though the United States and European Union tend to have stricter standards with regards to the lead levels in food and health supplements, Prof Ong clarified that this does not mean Singapore’s standards are unsafe. And as the science is evolving very rapidly, he highlighted the need for all countries to review their standards from time toRead more

A research study, led by Associate Professor Koh Woon Puay and in collaboration with Dr Pan An, concluded that inhaling smoke from burning incense daily for 20 years or more increases a person’s risk of dying from heart disease by 12 per cent. Indoor incense burning is widespread throughout Singapore and A/Prof Koh said, “studies on emissions from burning of incense have identified volatile organic compounds and particulate matter similar to those found in cigarette smoke and traffic emissions.” However, this research study is not intended to discourage incense burning, which is often linkedRead more

The NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health congratulates Prof Saw Seang Mei, our SSHSPH alumna, Dr Pwint Mar Khin (MSc Class of 2011), as well as A/Prof Lee Yung Seng and Dr Wong Teck Yee from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, on winning the Annals Best Publication Award 2013! Every year, the Annals Editorial Board of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore, shortlists the best papers published within the previous year and votes for the top 3 papers based on clinical impact, study design and research methodologies,Read more

The NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health congratulates Prof Saw Seang Mei, Dr Pan Chenwei and Dr Dharani Ramamurthy on receiving the Bernard Gilmartin OPO Award! Presented by the College of Optometrists, the Bernard Gilmartin OPO Award honours the most highly regarded paper published in Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics during the last 5 years. The research team, led by Prof Saw Seang Mei, published the paper ‘Worldwide prevalence and risk factors for myopia’ which summarises the worldwide patterns and trends for the prevalence of myopia and to evaluate the risk factors for myopiaRead more

As Singapore moves towards becoming a Smart Nation, the tele-rehabilitation project led by Associate Professor Gerald Koh enhances the use of technology to supervise the recovery of stroke patients in the comfort of their own home. The tele-rehab system will be able to perform supervised rehabilitation exercises from home which potentially alleviates stress and inconvenience suffered by caregivers and patients who would otherwise have to travel to rehab centres. The only tele-medicine project featured at the 2014 National Day Rally exhibition, A/Prof Koh said, “I am honoured that the tele-rehabilitation project was chosen asRead more

It’s becoming an increasingly common sight to see young children glued to iPads, smartphones or other handheld devices, so is increased screen exposure among young children an issue we should be concerned about? A recent interview of the parents of 800 children found that nine out of 10 children in the 18 to 24 months age group are exposed to screen devices. The study was part of a community health project conducted by fourth-year medical students at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine to find out how often young childrenRead more

Dr Eugene Ho Wanxing, a Research Fellow and recent PhD graduate from the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, was part of a team led by A/Prof Fred Wong from the Department of Pharmacology at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, who discovered that artesunate, a common herbal-based anti-malaria drug, can be used to control asthma and with better treatment outcomes than other drugs currently available. On why such research was important, Dr Ho said asthma was a “global health concern and one of the most majorRead more