May-June. 2026 | The HEALTH

FOREIGN NEWS

The awards were presented by World Health Organisation( WHO) Director- General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during the Assembly’ s High-Level Welcome session, held under the theme“ Reshaping global health: a shared responsibility”.

This year’ s recipients were Dr Tore Godal, Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis, Dr Mike Ryan and Dr Heba Elsewedy, each recognised for their work in advancing healthcare, disease prevention, emergency response and humanitarian action.

Dr Tore Godal was acknowledged for his leadership in immunisation and infectious disease control. During his career, he helped elevate vaccines as a global development priority. He contributed to the establishment of major initiatives, including Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and Roll Back Malaria.

He also played a key role in tackling neglected tropical diseases and expanding efforts to control river blindness through community-based ivermectin distribution.

Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis was recognised for her work in immunisation and disease elimination across the Americas. Her efforts contributed to the elimination of measles and rubella in the region, making it the first region globally to

INSPIRING CHANGE: Recipients of the Director-General’ s Award for Global Health are honoured for advancing immunisation, strengthening outbreak preparedness and supporting vulnerable communities across the world

achieve the milestone. She also supported initiatives aimed at eliminating motherto-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.

Meanwhile, Dr Mike Ryan was honoured for strengthening global preparedness and emergency response systems. A founder of the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, he led WHO responses to major health crises including SARS, Ebola, cholera, polio and Covid-19.

Dr Heba Elsewedy received the award for her humanitarian and social justice work through the Ahl Masr Foundation, which provides treatment, rehabilitation and psychological support for burn survivors and humanitarian aid for people affected by the Gaza conflict.

JOHNSON & Johnson marked World IBD Day in Singapore with the launch of its interactive“ Gut Tunnel” experience and a series of educational initiatives to raise awareness of endoscopic remission among people living with inflammatory bowel disease( IBD).

Held under the company’ s ongoing Dual Control campaign, the programme highlighted the importance of achieving deeper disease control beyond symptom relief. The initiative also included the Asia Pacific IBD Patient Dialogue on May 17 in Singapore, bringing together 14 patient advocacy leaders from 11 organisations across Asia Pacific and the United States.

Experts at the event discussed new findings presented at the Digestive Disease Week 2026, which reinforced the long-term benefits of endoscopic remission, defined as the absence of disease activity observed during a colonoscopy.

The data showed that ulcerative colitis patients who achieved endoscopic remission had a 68 per cent lower risk of symptom worsening and were four times less likely to require IBD-related surgery. Crohn’ s disease patients achieving the same treatment goal experienced a 41 per cent lower risk of symptom worsening, were three times less likely to require surgery and used fewer steroids.

Professor Sung-Ae Jung said endoscopic remission had become the long-term treatment goal in IBD care, reflecting deeper healing and improved patient outcomes.

The Gut Tunnel installation was designed to help visitors better understand invisible gut inflammation that may persist even when symptoms appear to be under control. IBD affects around 10 million people globally, including an estimated 3,000 in Singapore.

To support shared decision-making, Johnson & Johnson also introduced an IBD Patient Conversation Guide in English, Simplified Chinese and Korean for patients and healthcare professionals.

GUT AWARENESS: Johnson & Johnson’ s“ Gut Tunnel” experience in Singapore designed to raise awareness about invisible gut inflammation and the importance of achieving endoscopic remission in inflammatory bowel disease care

NEW DEFENCE: Coartem Baby, the first WHO-approved malaria treatment designed specifically for infants, offers new hope for newborns and underweight babies in malaria-endemic regions across Africa

THE World Health Organisation( WHO) has approved the world’ s first malaria treatment specifically designed for babies, marking what health experts describe as a major public health milestone in the fight against the mosquito-borne disease.

The treatment, known as Coartem Baby, has received WHO prequalification, confirming that it meets international standards for quality, safety and efficacy. The approval is expected to enable widespread procurement in countries with high malaria rates, particularly across sub-Saharan Africa.

Malaria killed an estimated 610,000 people in 2024, with about three-quarters of the deaths involving children under five in Africa. In some African regions, up to 18 per cent of infants under six months are infected with malaria.

Until now, babies had been treated using medicines intended for older children, increasing risks linked to incorrect dosing, side effects and toxicity, according to the WHO.

Developed by Novartis and the Medicines for Malaria Venture, Coartem Baby contains artemether and lumefantrine and can be used in infants weighing as little as 2kg. The sweet cherry-flavoured tablets dissolve easily in liquids, including breast milk.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said advances in vaccines, diagnostics and mosquito nets were helping to turn the tide against malaria.

The treatment has already been introduced in Ghana, where doctors reported positive outcomes among newborn patients treated with the drug.- The HEALTH