The 8th Public Health and Occupational Medicine just came and gone last week. This year's conference was held at Sheraton towers and the theme is "Advancing The Health of Population".
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The conference this year starred some prominent figures in the field of public health both internationally and locally. The distinguised speakers include: Prof John Ashton (North West Region Director of Public Health and holds numerous chairs in medical schools in UK), Dr Shyamala Thilagaratnam (Director Healthy Ageing Division, HPB), Dr Ng Li Ling (Senior Consultant Psychiatrist, CGH and Vice President of the Alzheimer’s Disease Association), Dr Christopher Lien (Senior Consultant in the Department of Geriatric Medicine, CGH) and many more... (Do click on the link to find out more)Over the 3 days event (including pre-conference), i have attended 1 workshop and many many talks.
I am also thankful and honored to have my poster selected for the presentation at the conference as well. It's been an exciting year. This is the second poster selected and i can't complain! Although i look like a grain of sands amongst the giants in terms of depth and content of the poster, i am happy that somehow it has generated some interests and discussion among some of the people at the conference. Well baby steps to become a good scientists i suppose?
To be frank, i am thankful to have signed up for this because i have learnt a lot from these people. Being in a community hospital for the elderly setting, the central theme of aging population during this conference definitely interest me more than others. As we know, aging population is an issue much discussed this year. It came up once during (1) Population white paper last year, second time (2) during national dialogue and (3) during national day rally. Singapore has one of the fastest aging populations in the world, with over 65-year-olds estimated by 2030 to represent 23% of the population, the second highest percentage in Asia lagging behind only Japan.
And a glance of what the elderly situation in Singapore is liked now...
I think this is a sobering reminder that one day we will end up there in this group, Singaporean or not. Male or female. Most of us (i am guilty as well), that we don't plan for the future when we're young, or we leave it to our government to come out with some strategic plans for us. I suppose, making use of this platform, it would be a great opportunity for us (any of you that chance upon this blog) to take some time and think about this issue of aging population? Well, i shan't bore people with the in-depth details of the different talks. But i would like to share (in my opinion, great take home points or lessons learnt) 3 lessons that i have learnt this time and hopefully a good starting block of food-for-thoughts?
1. Aging Population - A "The Golden Opportunity"
2. Our Community Assets
3. "Long Journeys are Short if Divided into Sections..."
I am also thankful and honored to have my poster selected for the presentation at the conference as well. It's been an exciting year. This is the second poster selected and i can't complain! Although i look like a grain of sands amongst the giants in terms of depth and content of the poster, i am happy that somehow it has generated some interests and discussion among some of the people at the conference. Well baby steps to become a good scientists i suppose?
To be frank, i am thankful to have signed up for this because i have learnt a lot from these people. Being in a community hospital for the elderly setting, the central theme of aging population during this conference definitely interest me more than others. As we know, aging population is an issue much discussed this year. It came up once during (1) Population white paper last year, second time (2) during national dialogue and (3) during national day rally. Singapore has one of the fastest aging populations in the world, with over 65-year-olds estimated by 2030 to represent 23% of the population, the second highest percentage in Asia lagging behind only Japan.
Source: Stats from MOH, Image created by Irene C.
I think this is a sobering reminder that one day we will end up there in this group, Singaporean or not. Male or female. Most of us (i am guilty as well), that we don't plan for the future when we're young, or we leave it to our government to come out with some strategic plans for us. I suppose, making use of this platform, it would be a great opportunity for us (any of you that chance upon this blog) to take some time and think about this issue of aging population? Well, i shan't bore people with the in-depth details of the different talks. But i would like to share (in my opinion, great take home points or lessons learnt) 3 lessons that i have learnt this time and hopefully a good starting block of food-for-thoughts?
1. Aging Population - A "The Golden Opportunity"
3. "Long Journeys are Short if Divided into Sections..."
Well, here's my two cents worth. What are your thoughts? Open for discussion. Drop me a mail or comments!
Till next time,
Cheers~
Cheers~
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