Kenneth Mak to chair Singapore’s new communicable diseases agency

SINGAPORE – The Republic’s chief medical adviser, Professor Kenneth Mak, has been appointed the chairman of the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) – a new statutory board.

The agency will be established on April 1, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a press statement on March 24.

First

announced by MOH on Feb 13

, the CDA will be set up to consolidate the public health functions that detect, prevent and control infectious diseases. It will seek to allow the Government to respond swiftly to disease outbreaks and “play a vital role in safeguarding Singapore from infectious disease threats”, MOH said.

As Singapore’s director-general of health, Prof Mak currently oversees both Singapore’s clinical and public health services, and was at the forefront of Singapore’s public health response to Covid-19.

In his new role, he will help to chart the strategic direction of the CDA, and support the integration and coordination of infectious disease operations across the healthcare sector.

He will also lead the agency in enhancing Singapore’s preparedness and response to future public health challenges and pandemics.

Alongside Prof Mak, the CDA’s board will consist of experts specialising in a wide range of areas in addition to healthcare, such as artificial intelligence, data science and communications.

They include Mr Mohd Nazry Mokhtar, the editor of Malay-language newspaper Berita Harian; Mr Ervin Yeo, group chief strategy officer and chief executive, commercial management, CapitaLand Investment; and Professor Ho Teck Hua, the president of Nanyang Technological University.