Centre for Infectious Disease Emergency Response

Director’s Message

The Centre for Infectious Disease Emergency Response (CIDER) aims to expand the university's key contributions to pandemic preparedness and the response to infectious diseases. Through focused capacity building, CIDER will create and coordinate training, teaching, and operational efforts related to outbreak preparedness. These initiatives will benefit not only Singapore but also the region and, ultimately, the global health community. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a growing need for improved governance, stronger systems, and increased financing. This will help countries enhance their resilience against future infectious disease emergencies.

Therefore, please contact us if you have any questions or comments regarding our regional education efforts or potential opportunities for collaboration on pandemic preparedness at national or sub-national levels.

Professor Dale Fisher
Director, CIDER

NUS Contributions to Global Health

Since 2013, NUS has been a member of the 21-member Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) steering committee. Notably, it provided the chair from 2018 to 2022. As a result, NUS has consistently been at the forefront of global health initiatives. For instance, the university was part of the mission to Wuhan, China, in February 2020 during the critical early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, in 2022, NUS hosted the 2nd global meeting of the GOARN training network in Singapore.

Educational Efforts and Innovation at NUS

With a dedicated team of staff and faculty, NUS has been developing and implementing courses that have supported outbreak responses across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. These efforts have addressed diseases such as Ebola, influenza, dengue, and COVID-19. Moreover, NUS has expanded its educational and engagement efforts through innovative projects. These include a 38-part webinar series with international reach and an award-winning 160-part comic series. Additionally, in 2023, NUS will publish a textbook titled "Infectious Disease Emergencies: Preparedness and Response", featuring contributions from 116 global experts.

National Leadership and Strategy

Beyond academic contributions, NUS has also played a key role in Singapore's national communications strategy. It has engaged with both local and global media. Furthermore, NUS formalized support for the country's foreign worker communities, and its experts have been instrumental in several national operational committees and advisory groups. Through these roles, NUS has helped shape policy and response strategies for infectious diseases.

CIDER was conceived in 2023 and officially approved by the university in November.