Singapore initiative aims to improve bowel disease care across Asia

It aims to establish 15 intestinal ultrasound-capable centres. 

Singapore General Hospital (SGH), the International Bowel Ultrasound Group (IBUS) and Johnson & Johnson have launched a regional programme to expand access to intestinal ultrasound (IUS) for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) monitoring.

The initiative will initially train and certify 19 gastroenterologists from leading institutions across Southeast Asia and India.

It aims to establish 15 IUS-capable centres and provide advanced disease monitoring to nearly 1,000 patients in the first year.

IBD affects an estimated 3,000 people in Singapore, with cases rising across Asia. Persistent bowel inflammation can continue even when symptoms are limited, increasing the risk of complications, hospitalisation and surgery.

IUS allows clinicians to assess bowel inflammation in real time during a clinic visit without invasive endoscopy.

SGH will serve as the programme’s regional training hub, drawing on its multidisciplinary IBD Centre and experience in disease monitoring and clinical decision-making.

The programme is intended to create a regional network of specialists capable of applying standardised, evidence-based IUS monitoring and supporting earlier treatment optimisation across participating healthcare systems.