NCID launches gallery on second anniversary to educate public on infectious diseases

[SINGAPORE] As Singapore transitions to an endemic stage of managing Covid-19, it remains important to continue educating the public on how to protect themselves, in order to reduce the transmission of such infectious diseases.

This was at the heart of the decision by the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) to launch a gallery showcasing how the centre has been built to manage both emerging and endemic diseases such as dengue, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis.

The exhibitions also chronicle Singapore's history of infectious diseases since 1913, with a special section of the gallery dedicated to NCID's role in managing the Covid-19 pandemic.

The launch of the gallery is an extension of NCID's efforts to engage with the community, and to educate them about diseases that continue to pose significant risk to public health and have significant impact on the well-being of the population, the centre in a statement on Tuesday.

Officiating the launch on NCID's second anniversary on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat lauded the dedication and professionalism of healthcare workers at the NCID and in the wider healthcare community. The minister, who is also Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies, highlighted the centre's collaboration with other partners throughout the crisis.

One example was the National Covid-19 Research Workgroup, which was set up a day before the first Covid-19 case was confirmed in Singapore.

The workgroup, chaired by Professor Leo Yee Sin, NCID's executive director, and Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, the Ministry of Health's Chief Health Scientist, had brought together Singapore's research and development ecosystem.

The collaboration involved public healthcare institutions, institutes of higher learning, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, and DSO National Laboratories. "The workgroup has guided research efforts and generated important findings that directly impacted our prevention and treatment strategies," said DPM Heng.

"We are now 20 months into the fight against Covid-19. NCID has led our efforts against the pandemic, working closely with the rest of our healthcare system.... (Its) good work goes beyond the four walls of this building."

NCID's research has also revealed much about the more transmissible Delta variant - such as its ability to continue silent transmission and evade pre-existing immunity.

From September last year to June this year, the centre has led or co-authored 45 peer-reviewed research papers on Covid-19. Eight of them were featured in top journals such as the New England Journal.

Building Singapore's research and development capability will continue to be fundamental in preparing for a Disease X, which is a key area of the Research, Innovation, and Enterprise 2025 plans, said DPM Heng. "We will be developing a National R&D Programme for Epidemic Preparedness and Response (Prepare)... (to) further strengthen Singapore's capabilities to prevent, prepare for and respond to future epidemics."

Besides providing clinical care for about a third of Covid-19 cases admitted to hospitals, the centre's public health programmes have continued to make significant contributions even as the centre continues to battle the Covid-19 pandemic, Prof Leo noted.

The NCID Gallery will be open to the public from Wednesday (Sept 8). Its operating hours are from Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm. Admission is free.

THE STRAITS TIMES