SingHealth Duke-NUS Launches Two New Global Health Centres to Advance Allied Health and Pharmacy Practices in Asia

PRNewswire
Singapore, November 5: The SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre today announced the establishment of two new centres -- the Centre for Global Allied Health and the Centre for Global Pharmacy -- under the auspices of the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute (SDGHI). These new enabling platforms will advance global health collaboration and capacity building, with a focus on strengthening allied health and pharmacy practices regionally across Asia. The announcement was made at the Singapore Allied Health Conference 2025 held at Fairmont Singapore, which features distinguished speakers from local and overseas institutions to ignite learning and knowledge exchange for allied health practitioners.
Building on the combined strengths of SingHealth, Singapore's largest public health cluster, and Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore's premier graduate-entry medical school, SDGHI was established in 2018 to coordinate and scale global health efforts. With the addition of these centres, SingHealth and Duke-NUS reaffirm their commitment to advancing cross-border health equity.
Meeting an Urgent Need in a Changing Health Landscape
The two new centres come at a critical time when demand for specialised allied health and pharmacy expertise is rising across Asia in response to rapid technological advancements, ageing populations, and the growing prevalence of chronic diseases.
- WHO estimates a projected shortfall of 11 million health workers by 2030, predominantly in low- and lower-middle-income countries (Word Health Organization Health Workforce Overview). For pharmacists alone, the shortage is projected to be over 190,000 globally by 2030 (The Global Health Workforce Stock and Distribution in 2020 and 2030: A Threat to Equity and 'Universal' Health Coverage, June 2022)
- By 2035, ASEAN will have nearly 127 million people aged 60 and above (Source: Old Age Poverty and Active Ageing in ASEAN, The ASEAN Secretariat, December 2023) whilst Asia overall will see the number of older persons (60+) nearly double from 670 million in 2022 to 1.3 billion by 2050 (Asia-Pacific Report on Population Ageing 2022, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, November 2024).
- Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) currently account for 75% of global deaths (Noncommunicable diseases, WHO, 23 December 2024). In South-East Asia, the number of people living with diabetes, for example, is projected to rise to 185 million by 2050, with an estimated 43% undiagnosed (Diabetes in South-East Asia in 2024, International Diabetes Federation).
At the same time, a younger healthcare workforce is eager for international collaboration, leadership development and global health opportunities, underscoring the timeliness of these new centres.
Shaping a Healthier Tomorrow, Together
Global health goes beyond treating individual diseases. It aims to improve health for all by addressing the social, economic, and environmental factors that shape one's wellbeing.
For more than 20 years, SingHealth has partnered with organisations around the world on collaborative health programmes. Since the launch of SDGHI in 2018, many of these efforts have strengthened, including in nursing - with the launch of the Centre for Global Nursing in July 2024 going from strength to strength - and now in the allied health and pharmacy domains.
Both centres build on a legacy of more than 120 global health projects led by SingHealth and Duke-NUS partners. In allied health and pharmacy, highlights include an ongoing Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme in Cambodia (since 2017) - delivered with Singapore General Hospital and the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health - to strengthen appropriate antibiotic use and curb resistance; several collaborative initiatives with the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) including the Physiotherapy Bachelor's Programme Upgrade in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (2012-2019), Physiotherapy Education Upgrade Programme in Vientiane, Laos (2016-2019), and Occupational Therapy for Children with Special Needs in Jakarta, Indonesia (2019-2025) that have collectively trained hundreds of healthcare practitioners and educators across Southeast Asia to strengthen allied health education and practice in the region.
The centres will serve as platforms to advance allied health and pharmacy in the region through leadership, training, and mentorship. They will also foster stronger inter-professional collaboration, enabling healthcare teams to work seamlessly and make the best use of resources. The centres aim to inspire these professionals to play a greater role in global health by highlighting their critical contribution to advancing health equity.
"Many of the healthcare challenges such as an ageing population and rising costs are common across the world; hence there is great opportunity for us to work together to develop timely and impactful global health solutions." said Professor Ng Wai Hoe, Group Chief Executive Officer, SingHealth. "The healthcare landscape is constantly evolving, and we want to be at the forefront of allied health and pharmacy expertise in Singapore and beyond. The launch of the Centre for Global Allied Health and Centre for Global Pharmacy serves as a springboard for greater collaboration with our global health partners, enabling us to share and exchange expert know-how as we co-create solutions that strengthen the health and wellbeing of societies and their peoples."
"Healthcare challenges today are increasingly complex and interconnected, requiring solutions that are both multidisciplinary and global," said Professor London Lucien Ooi, Director, SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute. "Through the Centre for Global Allied Health led by Jeyamany Ruth Jacob and the Centre for Global Pharmacy under Vivianne Shih, we will strengthen networks across borders to share knowledge, build capacity, and enhance health systems. These exchanges not only advance health equity worldwide, but also bring valuable insights back to Singapore, ultimately improving care for all."
Creating Near-term Impact
The two new centres are poised to make an immediate impact with a series of initiatives launching in the coming months. The rollout will begin with comprehensive global allied health and global pharmacy databases, as vital resources for connecting funders, host countries, and projects. These will be complemented by dedicated capacity-building programmes that will train and mentor the next generation of allied health and pharmacy leaders. To build a strong community of support, the centres will also host webinars and briefings to engage stakeholders and empower advocates for this critical work.
For more information on these developments, please visit the Centre for Global Allied Health and the Centre for Global Pharmacy webpages.
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For list of Chinese translations, please contact Mr Matthew Tan.

About SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre
The SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre (AMC) draws on the collective strengths of SingHealth and Duke-NUS Medical School to provide our patients and community with the best outcomes and experience.
By leveraging the synergies in clinical care, research and education created through our Academic Clinical Programmes, Disease Centres and Joint Institutes, the SingHealth Duke-NUS AMC fosters the exchange of scientific knowledge and clinical perspectives to accelerate innovation and new discoveries, advance the practice of medicine as well as nurture the next generation of healthcare professionals.
SingHealth delivers comprehensive, multi-disciplinary and integrated care across a network of acute hospitals, national specialty centres, polyclinics and community hospitals. Offering over 40 clinical specialties, SingHealth is Singapore's largest public healthcare cluster.
Duke-NUS, Singapore's flagship graduate-entry medical school, nurtures 'Clinician Plus' graduates to become leaders in the global healthcare and biomedical ecosystem, while scientists from its five Signature Research Programmes and 10 Centres transform medicine and improve lives in Asia and beyond.
About the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute
The SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute (SDGHI) is an enabling platform for global health activities across the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre.
Harnessing the strengths and expertise of SingHealth and Duke-NUS Medical School, the institute advances health equity by addressing current and emerging health challenges across Asia and beyond. In collaboration with partners worldwide, we work to tackle prevalent health issues, strengthen health systems, and better protect countries from pandemics and disease threats.
www.duke-nus.edu.sg/sdghi
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