Xinhua Silk Road, Singapore, December 5 (Reporter: Liu Chuntao): Recently, at a collateral disease forum held in Singapore, academician Wu Yiling from Chinese Academy of Engineering delivered a keynote speech titled “Construction and Application of Theory of Collateral Diseases”. The event was attended by nearly a hundred guests, including physicians and experts from institutions such as Singapore Chung Hwa Medical Institution and the Singapore Chinese Physicians’ Association.

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Academician Wu first shared his experiences over the past 40 years, integrating theoretical innovation, clinical diagnosis and treatment, and the development of significant new drugs according to the developmental laws of traditional Chinese medicine under contemporary high-tech conditions.
In 2019, the project led by Academician Wu, “Construction of Collateral Theory and Its Guidance on Preventive and Therapeutic Medication for Vascular Diseases” won the only First Prize for National Science and Technology Progress Award in the field of medicine and health for that year.
Academician Wu subsequently shared the effectiveness of theory of collateral diseases and related medications in treating major diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, tumors, and diabetes. He also discussed the performance of theory of collateral diseases and traditional Chinese medicine in anti-aging.
The keynote speech captured the great interest of the attendees, who continuously raised their smartphones to capture images of the slides presented by Academician Wu. During the lunch break, many took the opportunity to visit the booth showcasing traditional Chinese medicine and collateral disease literature at the forum.
After listening to Academician Wu’s lecture, Dr. Zheng Xinjin, former dean of the Singapore College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and current dean of the Singapore Zhongjing TCM Institution, stated in an interview that he had been introduced to the study of collateral diseases ten years ago and found it very promising. Since then, he has gradually introduced courses on collateral disease studies in the institution’s continuing education programs.
In November of this year, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore announced the commencement of the first local four-year Bachelor of Traditional Chinese Medicine program in 2024. The course design and arrangement will be tailored to local medical needs, with the first batch of graduates expected in 2028.
This program marks the first independent awarding of a Bachelor of Traditional Chinese Medicine degree by a local university and is the first such program certified by the Singapore Ministry of Health’s TCM Practitioners Board.
Dr. He Hesong, Deputy Director of the Special Outpatient Department at Singapore Chung Hwa Medical Institution, expressed in an interview that Singapore is strengthening cooperation with China in the field of traditional Chinese medicine and can further collaborate in talent development.