Author: Jacqueline Chin

Revolutionising cancer care, CAR-T therapy offers hope for aggressive haematological malignancies and shows promising results in treating solid tumours.

Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines have been experiencing record-breaking heat. These recent extreme temperatures have led to heat stress-related consequences like agricultural disruptions and power outages. In South Vietnam, whole rice fields dried up. Additionally, schools were suspended in the Philippines after temperatures rose above 42 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, across Thailand, temperatures soared and broke records continuously for 13 months!

New research reveals the brain’s adaptations and neurological changes during motherhood. While “mommy brain” is real, it may be a sign of the brain’s incredible rewiring to excel at nurturing a child.

Complementing these findings, a new study in China proved that improving air quality significantly declined suicide rates. By meticulously analysing data over several years, researchers found a clear, inverse relationship between air quality improvements and suicide incidences. This statistical study estimates that PM2.5 reductions under China’s Air Pollution Action Plan prevented 13,000–79,000 (95% confidence interval) suicides over 2013–2017. Therefore, environmental policies and concerted efforts to cleanse the air can yield significant mental health benefits.

These studies serve as a reminder of the urgent need for countries across Asia and the globe to address air pollution as a multifaceted health hazard and emphasise the importance of considering environmental risk factors, including air pollution, in understanding and addressing the causes of psychiatric disorders.

Singapore’s Project Wolbachia began as a small-scale project involving the release of male mosquitoes that carry a natural parasite called Wolbachia, which prevents the eggs of female mosquitoes from hatching. This approach led to a dramatic 90% reduction in the A. aegypti mosquito population and a 77% decrease in dengue cases in the targeted areas. The project has been expanding steadily since its inception.

Recently, with a striking increase in dengue cases over the past ten weeks, Singapore’s government has urged for immediate action. In just the past week, the project released a further 350,000 Wolbachia-carrying males in an area and are planning to extend this initiative to four more regions within this first quarter. This means stepping up to produce a whopping 11 million male Wolbachia mosquitoes weekly and coverage from 26% to 35% of all households in Singapore.

A Singapore study using electroencephalography showed that infants who spent more time on screens had increased electrocortical activity and worse executive functions later in life, such as memory, attention, and inhibition, than those who had less screen exposure. The researchers warned that screen time in early life might affect children’s learning and behaviour.