The Environmental Public Health Act became law on 2 January 1969. The act was aimed at setting up a standard code to govern health-related matters in public cleansing services, markets, hawkers, food establishments and the general environment. It also integrated ...

The Institute of Mental Health is the only government mental hospital in Singapore. It was relocated to its present campus – a modern complex off Hougang Street 51 – in April 1993. The site is near the old Woodbridge Hospital off Jalan Woodbridge, which has since ...

PUB, Singapore’s national water agency, formerly known as the Public Utilities Board (PUB), is a statutory board under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR). Its mission is to ensure an efficient, adequate and sustainable supply of water in ...

The islandwide dental health campaign was launched in February 1969 as part of the Ministry of Health’s efforts to inculcate good dental hygiene habits from young. Led by the Ministry of Health in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, the programme comprised ...

Bedok Public Library, located at 21 Bedok North Street 1, is the sixth branch library built by the National Library Board (NLB). It was known as Bedok Community Library until 2008. Officially opened on 28 September 1985 by S. Jayakumar, then minister for home affairs, ...

Quarantine was formally introduced as a public health control measure in Singapore in 1868. It was an important method of disease control before the widespread adoption of vaccination and antimicrobial therapy. As a cosmopolitan port settlement, Singapore was particularly ...

The National AIDS Control Programme is an action plan for protecting against and preventing the spread of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) in Singapore. It was formulated by the Advisory Committee on AIDS ...

The Keep Public Toilets Clean campaign series was launched by the Ministry of Environment (ENV) in July 1983. Held in the same month as the National Courtesy Campaign (NCC), the public education programme was started with the aim of promoting good public toilet ...

Located at 6 Toa Payoh Central, Singapore, Toa Payoh Community Library (previously known as Toa Payoh Branch Library), as it was then known, was opened on 7 February 1974. Equipped to serve about 250,000 residents in Toa Payoh, it was the second full-time branch ...

Tuberculosis, commonly known as TB, is an infectious disease caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium. It spreads from person to person via airborne respiratory droplets from an infected person, and primarily affects the lungs. In the 19th century, Singapore’s ...

The influx of immigrants to Singapore in the 19th century brought various communicable diseases, such as smallpox, leprosy and cholera to the island. Health inspections and regulations became increasingly important in order to control the spread of such diseases ...

Nurses’ Day was originally celebrated as Nurses’ Week from 1965 before becoming Nurses’ Day in the 1980s. Nurses’ Day is a day set aside to honour and recognise the contribution of nurses to Singapore. It is usually marked with celebrations for nurses, which include ...

The Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA) provides an opt-out organ donation system that allows for the removal of kidneys, livers, hearts and corneas from deceased Singapore citizens and permanent residents, for the sole purpose of transplantation. Administered by ...

Cecil Clementi (Sir) (b. 1 September 1875, Cawnpore, India–d. 5 April 1947, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom) was Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Straits Settlements as well as High Commissioner for the Federated Malay States from 1930 to 1934. Proficient ...

The Public Service Commission (PSC) is the government agency responsible for the appointment, promotion, transfer, dismissal and exercise of disciplinary control over public officers in Singapore. It has another role as the administrator of government-funded scholarships ...

Ida Mabel Murray Simmons (b. 1881 or 1888, unknown–d. 7 January 1958, Stirling, Scotland) was a public health matron who transformed maternal and infant health care standards in Singapore. She improved facilities and services in rural areas, and educated families ...

Infectious disease outbreaks were prevalent in Singapore since pre-independence. Then, infectious diseases, such as cholera, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, smallpox, polio and measles, were often associated with unsanitary and overcrowded living conditions. Today, ...

Sam Kiang Huay Kwan (新加坡三江会馆), a Chinese clan association for the sanjiang community, first started as the Sam Kiang Public Office in 1906 before changing to its current name in 1927. It has made contributions to education in Singapore through the Sam Kiang Public ...

Roland St John Braddell (Dato) (Sir) (b. 20 December 1880, Singapore–d. 15 November 1966, London, United Kingdom), a prominent lawyer in the region, was the author of numerous legal and historical publications. He was also joint editor of and a contributor to Singapore’s ...

Leonard Montague Harrod (b. 21 May 1905, Horsham, England–d. 12 March 1984), commonly referred to as L. M. Harrod, was appointed Librarian of the Raffles Library on 8 September 1954, and then its director from January 1955 to December 1959. A qualified librarian, ...