Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is the most important infectious disease of our time. Likewise, the availability of highly effective therapy for HIV represents one of the greatest accomplishments of drug research and development in modern times. Antiretroviral therapy (ART), usually comprising a combination of 3 drugs that act...

Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) are contagious viral diseases associated with high mortality and morbidity, often linked with severe complications. Globally, measles remains the main cause of vaccine-preventable morbidity and mortality in children. This is true even in the Western Pacific region, despite the fact that immunisation has reduced...

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a serious manifestation of coronary artery disease that is associated with high mortality from arrhythmias and heart failure. Its treatment has evolved over the decades. In the 1960s, coronary care units (CCUs) were developed to allow for close monitoring of AMI patients recognised to...

Singapore is a country with a high prevalence of diabetes mellitus, 1 8.2% amongst its population aged between 18 and 69 years,2 and is joint second in the world for “pre-diabetes” after Nauru. 3 About 17% of all patients admitted to 3 acute hospitals in the National Healthcare Group...

Brain death is legally recognised in most developed countries. Certification is usually a prelude to either the withdrawal of cardiorespiratory life support or organ procurement and donation. It is therefore a diagnosis of great significance, and there should be rigorous standards in place to govern the process of brain...