With thoughtful leadership, these pandemic heroes have helped Asia get through the humanitarian crisis
“Covid-19 demonstrated how quickly an infectious disease can sweep across the world, push health systems to the brink and upend daily life for all of humanity,” said António Guterres, secretary general of the United Nations, in his speech during the 2021 International Day of Epidemic Preparedness. The annual international day of observation, celebrated on December 27, is a global reminder to develop robust epidemic management systems that cover health, basic services, information and more. Most of all, it is a call to build solidarity, as Gutteres further said, to “stop infectious diseases in their tracks”.
In the region, leaders from Asia’s Most Influential 2022 have helped curb the Covid-19 pandemic and resolve its impact on daily life through responsible public governance, innovative tech solutions and, of course, scientific research. To better manage future outbreaks, it is important to expand and learn from what they have achieved in the past years.
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Leo Yee Sin, Singapore
Professor Leo Yee Sin is the executive director of the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), the state-of-the-art health facility dedicated to the prevention and management of outbreaks and the protection of Singaporeans from infectious diseases. The professor, who conducts research on emerging infections and has published numerous scientific papers, has a wealth of experience in managing outbreaks, including SARS, influenza, Zika, monkeypox and the recent Covid-19 outbreak. In a Lunch by Sumiko podcast episode, she advised people to help slow the mutation of Covid-19 (something she said will be here to stay) by continuing good prevention habits learned during the pandemic such as the wearing of masks during at-risk situations.
Read Leo Yee Sin’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential
