Dr CHEW Suok Kai has held a wide range of positions in the field of medicine and public health and has extensive experience in healthcare and health policy. He is the former Senior Advisor at the Singapore Ministry of Health and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore.
Dr Chew was the Special Assistant to the Singapore’s Permanent Secretary of Health before he assumed the position as the former Deputy Director of Medical Services with management and policy oversight of professional and health care matters. He helped shape national strategies in many areas: prevention and control of diseases of public health importance; medical emergency preparedness for civil disasters and national emergencies; development and promotion of integrated and holistic healthcare services to achieve optimal health outcomes; health regulation to achieve high standards of health care and professionalism; international health cooperation; biomedical research and ethics; and biosafety. As Senior Advisor, he provided professional advice and guidance on matters related to healthcare, public health and international cooperation.
He has received numerous awards from the Singapore government, including the Public Administration Medal for Overcoming SARS in 2003. He has played a significant role as a member of international and national expert and advisory committees related to public health and health care. These included the WHO Executive Board and its technical committees, the Regional Emerging Diseases Intervention Centre Scientific Advisory Group, the Public Utilities Board External Audit Panel, the National Medical Research Council and the Health Promotion Board. Dr Chew has published extensively on infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has been recognized among the top 2% of scientists worldwide.
Dr Chew received his degree in medicine and surgery from the University of Singapore, a master degree in public health from the National University of Singapore, and a master degree in epidemiology from the University of London. He completed a Fogarty Fellowship in AIDS epidemiology at the Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, and a Stanford-National University of Singapore Executive Program.