Singapore has faced many pandemics over the centuries, from plague, smallpox and cholera to influenza and novel coronaviruses. By examining how different governments responded, this book considers what we can learn from their experiences. Public health strategies in the city-state were often affected by issues of ethnicity and class, as well as failure to take heed of key learnings from previous outbreaks. Pandemics are a recurrent and normal feature of the human experience. Alongside medical innovation and evidence-based policymaking, the study of history is also crucial in preparing for future pandemics.

Kah Seng Loh is a historian and director of a research consultancy.

Li Yang Hsu is an infectious diseases physician who is Vice-Dean of Global Health at Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore.