When Hanoi Medical University (HMU) joined the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute (SDGHI) network as its third Regional Collaborating Centre (RCC) in March 2025, the agreement underscored Vietnam’s importance as a partner in advancing Asia’s health security. Four months on, a follow-up visit by Assistant Professor Dr Vincent Pang and Han Le Minh has shown how those commitments are beginning to take shape.

At the heart of the July trip was a shared focus on building resilience; building the systems, data, and collaborations needed to respond to future health challenges. In discussions with HMU Hospital leaders, Clinical Assistant Professor Jai Prashanth Rao, Head of Department, Neurosurgery, Singapore General Hospital, and Dr. Kesigan Sayalolibavan, Registrar in Neurosurgery, National Neuroscience Institute, identified a significant potential in translating trauma data to formulate evidence-based clinical decisions. As such, the joint clinical team is committed to co-developing a neurotrauma registry system to guide clinical practices. This project, now underway, will not only improve patient care in Vietnam but also create a model for clinical registries across the region.