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  • Tanoto Foundation Donates to Rare Disease Fund in Singapore

    Tanoto Foundation Donates to Rare Disease Fund in Singapore

    Yes, a rare disease is rare because it affects fewer than one in 2,000 patients. However, 80 per cent of rare diseases have genetic origins and are present for the patient’s entire life. There are no treatments available for most rare diseases. For a few available effective treatments, these medicines are usually very expensive and have to be taken for the patient’s entire life.

    In Singapore, around 2,000 – 3,000 people have a rare disease. Of these, 700 are children. Some medicine costs more than S$200,000 a year for each patient. This adds to the emotional stress and financial burden on patients and their families.

    Aiming to lighten the burden, Tanoto Foundation has made a S$2 million donation to the Rare Disease Fund (RDF) in Singapore. With the Singapore Government matching S$3 for every dollar of public donation, it will boost the impact of this donation.

    As part of our ongoing efforts in Singapore on health advocacy, medical research and development, and enhancement of the quality of life for patients and their caregivers, we hope to play our part with this donation.

    Managed by the KKH Health Fund (part of the SingHealth Fund), the RDF provides a platform for the community and Government to come together to support patients with rare diseases over their lifetime. With the mission to give “Hope for a Lifetime”, the fund provides long-term financial support for patients with rare diseases requiring treatment with high cost medicines, as all the other avenues are not designed to support such large sums on a lifelong basis and are usually time-limited.

    More information on the RDF is available at: https://www.kkh.com.sg/giving/Documents/Rare-Disease-Fund/index.html

    KZTC

  • Unlocking Potential: Medical Research, Education, and Philanthropy

    Unlocking Potential: Medical Research, Education, and Philanthropy

    One of the biggest lessons we have learned from the Covid-19 pandemic is the importance of health. However, many are still neglecting the importance of medical research in Asia, which is critical to improving the health standards in the region.

    In the latest episode of the Unlocking Potential podcast, hosted by Global Tanoto Foundation CEO Dr J Satrijo Tanudjojo, we spoke to Professor Chong Yap Seng, the Dean of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS) on the topics of medical research, education, and philanthropy.

    Medical research is critical to studying our local situation

    According to Yap Seng, it’s essential that medical research be conducted in the region, rather than relying solely on studies carried out in other parts of the world.

    “Most of the research that has been done in medicines and healthcare was done in the West, and when I say the West, I mean the US, Europe, and Australia,” he said.

    “The populations, the culture, and even the food are very different from what we have in Asia. It is important to conduct medical research exclusively in Asia, to know how our diets, environment, and cultures affect the health and disease patterns in the region, then come up with solutions that fit the local situation,” he elaborated.

    Attracting quality talent for a better public health service

    Tanoto Foundation actively supports medical research to better understand Asian prevalent diseases, but another challenge is finding the right talent.

    Yap Seng said that it is essential to set a proper benchmark. “When we look for quality talents, we need to compare ourselves with the best countries in the world. It is not enough to look at what’s best in Singapore or Asia. If we’re willing to be frankly honest, that is not enough,” Yap Seng said.

    However, he said that Singapore must be aware of the potential to create a brain drain problems in neighboring countries. “We should bring them over here for training, and we should do our best to send them back so that they can contribute to their own countries.

    “Another thing that we should learn from the Covid-19 pandemic is that no one is safe until everyone is safe. If we, as Singaporeans, are healthy and safe in our country but our surrounding countries are not in the same state, the problems will come to us,” Yap Seng explained.

    Furthermore, Yap Seng and Satrijo also discuss the possibilities for philanthropy organizations like Tanoto Foundation to fill gaps in medical research and other areas like public health education.

    KZTC

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  • President Halimah Yacob and Tanoto Foundation Unveil Dale Chihuly’s Ethereal White Persians Sculpture at Gardens by the Bay

    President Halimah Yacob and Tanoto Foundation Unveil Dale Chihuly’s Ethereal White Persians Sculpture at Gardens by the Bay

    Singapore, 2 April 2022 – President Halimah Yacob and Member of the Board of Trustees at Tanoto Foundation Anderson Tanoto today unveiled American artist Dale Chihuly’s Ethereal White Persians sculpture at Gardens by the Bay’s (the Gardens) Cloud Forest. The unveiling took place in the presence of Minister for National Development, Mr Desmond Lee.

    Independent philanthropic organisation Tanoto Foundation founded by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto commissioned the internationally-renowned blown-glass art piece to commemorate the Gardens’ 10th anniversary. The spectacular Ethereal White Persians will be a permanent installation, suspended over the water, atop the Cloud Forest Mountain.

    President Halimah Yacob and Tanoto Foundation’s Anderson Tanoto at the unveiling of the sculpture in Cloud Forest.

    A blown-glass masterpiece, each element of Ethereal White Persians is unique and bears its own signature due to Dale Chihuly’s production technique of utilising gravity and centrifugal force to let molten glass find its shape in its own organic way.

    Anderson Tanoto, Member of the Board of Trustees, Tanoto Foundation, said, “We are honoured to have President Halimah Yacob and Minister Desmond Lee with us to unveil the new sculpture. Tanoto Foundation’s work has been driven by our mission to provide equal opportunities to the community, mainly through education, medical research, and youth leadership. Similarly, we believe access to internationally-renowned art, such as Dale Chihuly’s Ethereal White Persians, should be for all in Singapore to enjoy. We are thankful to be collaborating with a like-minded partner, Gardens by the Bay, which shares similar values in terms of availing accessibility and fulfilling our roles as social-levelers in Singapore.”

    The decision to make Ethereal White Persians a permanent feature was influenced by the overwhelming response to Chihuly’s Glass in Bloom exhibition, which was held in Singapore last year at the Gardens. With this permanent art sculpture at the Cloud Forest, Singaporeans can now experience one of Dale Chihuly’s most famous art pieces anytime.

    Anderson added, “At nine feet tall and an assembly of 97 individual glass pieces, the Ethereal White Persians by Dale Chihuly is awe-inspiring. It is also a vision of hope, a testament to human resilience and perseverance. He has stayed true to his pursuit of pushing something as fragile as glass to new forms, creating ambitious and stunning installations in prominent landmarks across the globe. The Persian series is a culmination of a year’s experimentation by Dale Chihuly – it signifies perseverance, the pursuit of excellence, and reflects the positive spirit of constantly pushing boundaries to open new horizons. We hope this art piece can inspire many Singaporeans.”

    Leslie Chihuly, President & CEO, Chihuly Studio, said, “Last year, we had the incredible opportunity of mounting Dale’s first major garden exhibition in Asia, at Gardens by the Bay. We are honoured that this installation will remain in the Gardens for all to enjoy, and we are grateful to the Tanoto Foundation for making this possible.”

    KZTC