The two-evening programme on 27-28 January at The Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium at the SingHealth Duke-NUS campus convened clinicians, students, policymakers and partners to focus on the importance of outbreak preparedness and ‘planetary health’
SINGAPORE, 29 January 2026 – Singapore has hosted its first Global Health Film Festival, bringing together clinicians, students, policymakers and partners to examine some of the most pressing health challenges facing the region, from infectious disease preparedness to climate-related health risks.
Organised by the SingHealth Duke‑NUS Global Health Institute (SDGHI), in collaboration with UK non‑profit Global Health Film, the festival was held on 27 and 28 January at the Ngee Ann Kongsi (NAK) Auditorium in the Singapore General Hospital campus. The two-night programme saw over 500 seatings, with many participants returning for both evenings.
The festival was opened by Professor Ng Wai Hoe, Group Chief Executive Officer, SingHealth, on Day One, and Professor Patrick Tan, Dean of Duke-NUS Medical School, on Day Two.
Through the lens of documentary storytelling, the Singapore Global Health Film Festival aimed to deepen understanding of global health challenges and foster dialogue across disciplines. Each evening featured a documentary screening, followed by a moderated panel discussion with clinicians, academics and the filmmaker, and concluded with networking sessions designed to encourage cross-sector collaboration.
Programme highlights
Why it matters
The festival comes at a time of heightened attention to global health in Asia, as countries apply lessons from recent pandemics while grappling with the growing health impacts of climate change. Building on an established international model previously held in Australia, the Netherlands, Tanzania, the United Kingdom and the United States, the Singapore edition marked the first time the Global Health Film Festival has been brought to Southeast Asia.
Professor Ng Wai Hoe, Group Chief Executive Officer of SingHealth, said, “Pandemics and climate change transcend geographical borders, and no country can address these issues in isolation. Our healthcare professionals have experienced, firsthand, how major health events such as disease outbreaks and pandemics impact every aspect of patient care and care delivery. SingHealth is proud to be part of this meaningful purpose in advancing global health as we foster conversations that bring together diverse perspectives with a shared purpose to benefit the patients and communities we serve.”
Professor Patrick Tan, Dean of Duke-NUS, said the festival aligned closely with the School’s educational mission. “Global health challenges rarely sit neatly within disciplines or borders. One of the roles Duke-NUS and our Global Health Institute play is helping to connect science, clinical insight and policy so that ideas can move into action. This festival brings together people who may not often share the same space, and it is in that exchange that meaningful solutions can begin. Our students also stand to gain immensely from engaging with real-world challenges through dialogue and reflection.”
“Launching the country’s first Global Health Film Festival underscores our commitment to shaping the agenda - turning insights into action and advancing policies that are impactful and implementable across Asia’s diverse social, economic, and cultural contexts,” said Professor London Lucien Ooi, Director of SDGHI.
The inaugural Singapore edition of the Global Health Film Festival was presented by SDGHI, a joint institute under the auspices of the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre, and supported by the SingHealth International Collaboration Office, Duke-NUS Medical School and Hilleman Laboratories.
At the opening of the Singapore Global Health Film Festival 2026, from left: Prof WANG Linfa, Executive Director, Programme for Research in Epidemic Preparedness and Response (PREPARE), Prof LEO Yee Sin, Senior Advisor, National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), Prof NG Wai Hoe, Group Chief Executive Officer, SingHealth, Dr. N Erlyani Abd Hamid Erlyani Hamid, Head of Strategy, Planning and PR, Hilleman Laboratories and Prof. Peter Piot, former Director, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
At the close of the festival: (centre) Prof Patrick Tan, Dean, Duke-NUS Medical School, and Mr Yew Lin Goh, Chairman of the Board, Duke-NUS; with panellists (far left) Dr Jo-Anne Yeo, Clinical Sustainability Lead, Changi General Hospital; and, to their right, Ms Sumi Dhanarajan, Managing Director, Asia, Forum for the Future; and Dr Andrea Bruni, Regional Advisor, Mental Health, Word Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia.
