On 1 October 2011, the National University of Singapore (NUS) established a new school, the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH) and made it a member of the National University Health System (NUHS).  The SSHSPH is designed around domains which build upon strengths of the School and recognise opportunities in: Epidemiology; Biostatistics; Health Education and Promotion; and Health Services and Policy. Programmatic focus will continue in the areas of Cardiovascular- Metabolic Disease, Major Cancers, Eye Disease, and Infectious Disease.

The origins of public health research and teaching in Singapore can be traced back to the establishment of the Department of Social Medicine and Public Health in the King Edward VII College of Medicine in 1948.  The Department was renamed in 1987 to the Department of Community Occupational and Family Medicine (COFM) and again in 2009 to the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (EPH).  Each of these transitions was precipitated by evolving educational needs and greater impact in the sphere of public health.  In 2007, the Master of Medicine (MMed) Programme was converted to the more comprehensive Master of Public Health (MPH) degree.  Today, SSHSPH continues to offer the MPH degree to student cohorts from interdisciplinary backgrounds; the upcoming academic year 2012/13 will usher in Master of Science (M.Sc.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programmes to build upon SSHSPH’s strong research base.  SSHSPH faculty teach undergraduate education in the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, exposing medical students to the complexity and value of community health interventions through student-driven Community Health Projects (CHP). 

With this global worldview at the forefront of teaching, research, and practice, the SSHSPH is driven by the following tenets:

• Vision To be a global leader in Public Health centred in Asia
• Mission To drive knowledge discovery and practice in Public Health
• Values Passion for Prevention; Nurturing Mindset; Innovative Thinking