Speech by Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence, at the Opening Ceremony of the 58th International Congress of Aviation and Space Medicine

Distinguished guests from overseas,
Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good Morning. I am pleased to be here this morning to address the 58th International Congress of Aviation and Space Medicine (ICASM) and the 7th Asia-Pacific Congress of Aerospace Medicine (APCAM). These two conferences held jointly bring together practitioners, researchers and scientists in the specialised field of Aviation Medicine to foster exchanges and engagements between delegates from the Asia-Pacific region and the rest of world. Congress Focus and its RelevanceThe theme of this conference - "A New Era of Relevance for Aerospace Medicine" - reflects the many advances as well as challenges in the aviation industry since Singapore first hosted the 46th ICASM 12 years ago.

For example, the introduction of long haul flights has been a boon for the aviation industry but with longer uninterrupted flight journeys, will the number of medical emergencies occurring in passengers and crew also increase? If so, how should these airplanes be equipped to handle medical emergencies - of what sort, and correspondingly how should aircrew be trained? Compared to a decade ago, air travel has seen a significant increase. The number of scheduled flights by the world's airlines and passengers carried increased by 25% - 59 million to 74 million - and 32% - 3.5 billion to over 4.7 billion - respectively from 2000 to 2009. With increased density in air space especially around airports, pilots and air traffic controllers will encounter complex situations more frequently and with reduced margins for error even in routine operations. Hence, the increasing need to research and develop stress and fatigue management programmes to enhance professional performance and promote flight safety.

Globalisation has also presented its own set of challenges. The increasing inter-connectedness of continents and countries has raised the potential for pandemics and the rapid spread of infectious diseases. The import of SARS, Avian influenza, and the most recent H1N1 influenza pandemic into Singapore shores is still fresh in the memory of Singaporeans. The transmission of infectious diseases across borders has highlighted the public health challenges aggravated by air travel, and practical measures have to be found to manage them without causing adverse economic effects. Effective and efficient solutions to these issues highlighted and more which carefully balance the needs for safety and costs are necessary to facilitate air travel. I am therefore glad to see, from this year's congress scientific programme, that these issues will be rigorously discussed, and hopefully provide the basis for shaping preventive and interventional policies, regulations and practices related to this field.

Aerospace Medicine - A Vital Niche Discipline in SingaporeSingapore recognises the importance of Aerospace Medicine as a niche speciality that enhances our value as an aviation hub. Today, Changi Airport serves over 80 international airlines flying to some 200 cities in 60 countries, and handles over 37 million passengers every year. With flight safety being a top priority of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), the scope of Civil and Clinical Aerospace Medicine has expanded beyond conducting licensing medical examinations for pilots and air traffic controllers, to engaging in studies on aviation physiology and psychology, stress management and fatigue countermeasures to enhance flight performance.

Indeed, our Aerospace Medicine specialists have played vital roles in studying the issues and formulating pioneering aeromedical solutions to support our carrier and world's first ultra long-haul flights in 2004 - between Singapore and Los Angeles and between Singapore and Newark. In the field of military aviation, advances in Aerospace Medicine have enabled the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) to safely introduce higher performance fighters and platforms such as the G550 Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft, the F-15SGs and Apache attack helicopters.

Our military aviation doctors help our aircrew undergo progressive training in specialised aviation physiology trainers at the RSAF Aeromedical Centre (ARMC) to prepare and condition our aircrew for the stresses of operating these next generation aircraft. The ARMC recently upgraded its aviation physiology training systems with the introduction of the state-of-the-art human centrifuge trainer, spatial disorientation trainer and night vision experiential laboratory. Those of you who will be visiting the ARMC later in the week will be able to see the facilities firsthand and exchange experiences with the centre's Aerospace Medicine specialists. Another new development in Aviation Medicine is in the area of Corneal Refractive Surgery (CRS) techniques. Since 2005, the RSAF has implemented a Corneal Refractive Surgery Programme to improve visual performance and expand the pool of potential pilots given the high myopia rates in Singapore. Various Quality of Vision measurements are also being evaluated by the RSAF to better assess the visual performance of its pilots and aircrew under various operational scenarios.

The Next Leap for Aviation Medicine in SingaporeGiven the importance of Aviation Medicine to Singapore, I welcome the recent establishment of the Society of Aviation Medicine, Singapore in February last year. I believe the society will advance the development of Aviation Medicine in Singapore and drive efforts for its formal recognition as a subspecialty by the Ministry of Health. This is an important step as it will establish Aviation Medicine as a viable option of specialisation for future generations of doctors, thereby sustaining and growing the specialty to support Singapore's aviation sector.

This desire to continue grooming competent and professional Aviation Medicine practitioners is also a reflection of Singapore's emphasis on aviation safety and operational efficiency. ConclusionThe joint 58th ICASM - 7th APCAM presents an exciting four-day conference ahead. While you immerse yourselves in the programme, I hope that many of you, especially our friends from overseas, will take some time to explore Singapore as well. On this note, let me wish all of you an enjoyable and enriching congress ahead. Thank you.