Prepared for what comes next

Published on 6 July 2025

As a leading voice in outbreak control, Dr Louisa Sun Jin is helping shape Singapore’s readiness for future health threats, both at home and abroad.

Infectious diseases consultant Dr Louisa Sun Jin can still remember the moment she and her colleagues were activated in April 2020, during the COVID-19 outbreak in Singapore’s migrant worker dormitories.

“We got the notification at 4pm to go into the dormitories and swab some of the residents there for COVID,” she said. “A lot of people were isolated, and the situation was very uncertain.”

Dr Sun and her colleagues moved quickly to form one of Singapore’s first mobile swab operations. “It was an overnight affair,” said Dr Sun, who now also heads the Infection Prevention and Control and Epidemiology Unit at Alexandra Hospital. “We went to the dormitory the next morning, and from there, the situation evolved quickly.”

She went on to manage four dormitories and lead risk communication and engagement for migrant workers, as well as manage two community isolation and treatment facilities – contributing to Singapore’s broader effort to contain the outbreak over the next three years.

A broader view of outbreak control

While the immediate crisis has passed, Dr Sun’s focus on outbreak preparedness has not gone away. She now serves as Deputy Director of the Centre for Infectious Disease Emergency Response (CIDER) at the National University of Singapore (NUS), an initiative set up on the recommendation of Prof Dale Fisher, who played a key role in Singapore’s COVID-19 response.

Dr Sun also sits on several Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) committees for infection control and antimicrobial resistance. She was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) under the National Awards (COVID-19), and the Healthcare Humanity Award in 2023. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in health policy research at Duke-NUS Medical School.

“The pandemic opened my eyes to how big and complex the healthcare system is, and the difficulties and challenges that policymakers face,” she said. “Thinking about public health at an institutional or national level is a very different process from clinical work. The considerations are broader, more complex, and often involve trade-offs that aren’t visible at the bedside.”

She also believes that outbreak control happens on multiple levels. At the individual level, simple acts such as handwashing and masking remain fundamental. “While government policies are essential, individual behaviours collectively shape an outbreak’s course,” she said, noting that areas with strong compliance often performed better during the pandemic, even before vaccines became available.

Since the pandemic, Singapore’s outbreak response infrastructure has been strengthened. Enhancements include better surveillance, greater lab capacity and clearer activation protocols. “Perhaps most importantly, there’s greater recognition of pandemic preparedness as a national security priority, with corresponding investments in training and resources,” she said.

Is Singapore ready for the next outbreak?

Health authorities worldwide have warned of the eventual emergence of Disease X – a placeholder term for a future, unknown pathogen with pandemic potential. How Singapore handles such a threat, said Dr Sun, depends on how smoothly different sectors can coordinate. 

“The most successful pandemic strategies integrate clinical and research excellence with coordinated action and balanced decision-making across government agencies, healthcare institutions, businesses and communities,” she said.

Although Singapore has robust response capabilities, its resilience will depend on whether processes across sectors have been tested in advance. Public trust, too, will be critical when facing the unknown. 

“Singapore’s response must continue to be grounded in scientific evidence while communicating openly about uncertainties,” said Dr Sun. She added that initiatives like CIDER help build cross-sector capabilities by training professionals who understand both the technical and social aspects of outbreak response.

Transparency, she said, plays a vital role in maintaining trust – especially when difficult decisions must be made. “The most prepared systems aren’t just those with advanced technology,” she said, “but those with the right people, with the right skills, ready to act together when it matters most.”

In consultation with Dr Louisa Sun Jin, Consultant, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, and Head, Infection Prevention and Control and Epidemiology Unit, Alexandra Hospital, and Deputy Director, CIDER, NUS.