Public Health Tool Research Articles

Surveys of Knowledge and Awareness of Plastic Pollution and Risk Reduction Behavior in the General Population: A Systematic Review

Individual attitudes and knowledge can predict pro-environmental behaviors. Public surveys, therefore, can provide precious information, which can guide sensitization interventions. In this systematic review, we searched Medline and Embase, with no language or date restrictions, for surveys designed to measure in the general population the level of knowledge about different types of plastics, the risks associated with plastic pollution, and awareness of actions to reduce them. Survey tools were analyzed following the guide of Burns and Kho, and study methodological quality was assessed via the Appraisal Tool for Cross-Sectional Studies. We included 17 articles published from 2019 to 2024, mostly concerning European populations. The tools comprised a median of 13 items (range 7–50), and very differently formulated questions. Overall, 13/17 (76.5%) study questionnaires received less than 50% (<3.5) of the maximum possible score. The remaining four questionnaires obtained intermediate scores (between 3.5 and 5.3) indicating moderate quality. Most studies did not employ the appropriate cross-sectional survey methodology, only two studies statistically justified sample sizes, only three reported a sampling frame, and only two described a selection process that appears to be representative. In most cases, the instruments were not validated, and the statistical significance of key variables was not provided. The many shortcomings highlighted in this review emphasize the urgent need for methodological rigor when conducting survey studies, which are essential tools for public health.

Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Surveillance in France: The SUM’EAU Network

Wastewater surveillance is a powerful public health tool which gained global prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article describes the development and implementation of the national wastewater surveillance network in France: SUM’EAU. Preliminary work included defining a sampling strategy, evaluating/optimising analytical methods, launching a call for tenders to select network laboratories and producing wastewater monitoring indicators. SUM’EAU was then deployed in three stages: (i) a pilot study, (ii) the transfer of analytical activities from the National Reference Laboratory to four selected network laboratories, and (iii) the extension of the system to additional sampling sites. Currently, SUM’EAU monitors SARS-CoV-2 across 54 wastewater treatment plants in mainland France. Once a week on business days, 24 h flow-proportional composite samples are collected at plant inlets and transported at 5 °C (±3 °C) to partner laboratories for analysis. The analytical process involves sample concentration, RNA extraction, and digital RT-PCR/q-RT-PCR to detect and quantify the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 genome in wastewater. Subsequently, data are transferred to Santé publique France, the French National Public Health Agency, for analysis and interpretation. While SUM’EAU has been instrumental in monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and holds significant potential for broader application, securing sustainable funding for its operation remains a major challenge.

A Perspective on Wastewater and Environmental Surveillance as a Public Health Tool for Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Geographical variations in infectious diseases create differences in public health priorities between high- and low-income countries. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face resource constraints that limit adherence to international monitoring standards for wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). The development of low-cost WBE programs, such as those to detect SARS-CoV-2, offers LMICs a promising tool for monitoring pathogens of local concern. In this work, we summarize important wastewater biomarkers for LMICs and their associated public health challenges, ranging from pathogens causing gastroenteritis to putative markers for plant diseases linked to food safety, as well as antimicrobial resistance. We raise awareness of the great potential of WBE for LMICs and highlight the critical health markers, research needs, and strategies necessary to establish tailored wastewater surveillance programs.

Data from Emergency Medical Service Activities: A Novel Approach to Monitoring COVID-19 and Other Infectious Diseases.

Background: Italy, particularly the northern region of Lombardy, has experienced very high rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Several indicators, i.e., the number of new positive cases, deaths and hospitalizations, have been used to monitor virus spread, but all suffer from biases. The aim of this study was to evaluate an alternative data source from Emergency Medical Service (EMS) activities for COVID-19 monitoring. Methods: Calls to the emergency number (112) in Lombardy (years 2015-2022) were studied and their overlap with the COVID-19 pandemic, influenza and official mortality peaks were evaluated. Modeling it as a counting process, a specific cause contribution (i.e., COVID-19 symptoms, the "signal") was identified and enucleated from all other contributions (the "background"), and the latter was subtracted from the total observed number of calls using statistical methods for excess event estimation. Results: A total of 6,094,502 records were analyzed and filtered for respiratory and cardiological symptoms to identify potential COVID-19 patients, yielding 742,852 relevant records. Results show that EMS data mirrored the time series of cases or deaths in Lombardy, with good agreement also being found with seasonal flu outbreaks. Conclusions: This novel approach, combined with a machine learning predictive approach, could be a powerful public health tool to signal the start of disease outbreaks and monitor the spread of infectious diseases.

Integrated Serosurveillance of Infectious Diseases Using Multiplex Bead Assays: A Systematic Review.

Integrated serological surveillance (serosurveillance) involves testing for antibodies to multiple pathogens (or species) simultaneously and can be achieved using multiplex bead assays (MBAs). This systematic review aims to describe pathogens studied using MBAs, the operational implementation of MBAs, and how the data generated were synthesised. In November and December 2023, four databases were searched for studies utilising MBAs for the integrated serosurveillance of infectious diseases. Two reviewers independently screened and extracted data regarding the study settings and population, methodology, seroprevalence results, and operational implementation elements. Overall, 4765 studies were identified; 47 were eligible for inclusion, of which 41% (n = 19) investigated multiple malaria species, and 14% performed concurrent surveillance of malaria in combination with other infectious diseases (n = 14). Additionally, 14 studies (29%) investigated a combination of multiple infectious diseases (other than malaria), and seven studies examined a combination of vaccine-preventable diseases. Haiti (n = 8) was the most studied country, followed by Ethiopia (n = 6), Bangladesh (n = 3), Kenya (n = 3), and Tanzania (n = 3). Only seven studies were found where integrated serosurveillance was the primary objective. The synthesis of data varied and included the investigation of age-specific seroprevalence (n = 25), risk factor analysis (n = 15), and spatial analysis of disease prevalence (n = 8). This review demonstrated that the use of MBAs for integrated surveillance of multiple pathogens is gaining traction; however, more research and capabilities in lower- and middle-income countries are needed to optimise and standardise sample collection, survey implementation, and the analysis and interpretation of results. Geographical and population seroprevalence data can enable targeted public health interventions, highlighting the potential and importance of integrated serological surveillance as a public health tool.

Shape Public Perceptions: Multimodal Analysis of COVID-19 Vaccine Narratives in Chinese Posters

Posters are crucial tools in public health for promoting health information and advocating healthy behaviors. In China, posters play a pivotal role in shaping public perceptions and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination by utilizing multimodal narratives. This paper emotionally with different demographic groups, including children, the elderly, and families. The findings indicate that by merging cultural values explores how poster designers synthesize textual and visual elements to resonate with text and images, the posters effectively foster an emotional appeal to different target audiences. This study provides valuable insights into the use of multimodal narratives in health communication and highlights the importance of culturally tailored messaging in public health campaigns.

Statin use and dementia risk: A systematic review and updated meta-analysis.

Largest meta-analysis to date on statins and dementia risk, including 55 studies and more than 7 million patients.Statin use linked to lower risks of all-dementia, AD, and VaD.Numerous significant subgroup results highlight statins' diverse neuroprotective effects.Findings support statins as a public health tool, especially in low-income countries.Future research should explore the impact of statins across diverse patient populations.

Four Key Questions to Guide Human Rights–based Social Listening during Infodemics

AbstractThis paper considers what a human rights–based approach to the use of social listening to counter infodemics during a serious health threat might entail, using COVID-19 as a primary example. The paper considers social listening in the context of human rights including health, life, free speech, and privacy, and outlines what a rights-compliant form of social listening to infodemics might entail. The paper argues that human rights offer guardrails against illicit and unethical forms of social listening as well as signposts towards a more equitable, ethical, and effective public health tool. The paper first expands on the human rights dimensions of COVID-19, infodemics, and social listening. Second, it considers the human rights dimensions of social listening in relation to rights to health, life, and free speech, given international human rights law principles for limiting these rights. Finally, using this framework, the paper poses four key questions to frame a rights-based approach to social listening: Why do we listen? How do we listen? Who do we listen to and who is doing the listening? And what are the outcomes of such listening?

Level of Information and Awareness About Colorectal Cancer and Its Screening Program in Türkiye: A Community‐Based Cross‐Sectional Study

ABSTRACTObjectiveColorectal cancer (CRC) has high mortality if it is detected in advanced stages, persons can lower their risk of CRC by adopting a healthy lifestyle that may lead to prevention. Screening is the most powerful public health tool to reduce mortality, considering the challenges of making substantial lifestyle changes or implementing widespread primary prevention strategies to lower the risk of CRC. This study aims to find out the levels of information and awareness about CRC and its screening program in individuals living in Türkiye.DesignThis study was a community‐based cross‐sectional.SampleThis study was performed from November 2019 to November 2022 with a web‐based survey circulated through social media and communication platforms. The research was conducted with 4146 participants.MeasurementsThe “Survey Form” was used in the data collection. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used in the data analysis.ResultsThe study found that 43.3% of participants had information about CRC and its screening program. Among all participants, 94.7% had never undergone CRC screening, and 55.6% were aware of a CRC awareness month. The study also revealed that participants who were knowledgeable about CRC screening were more likely to have a family history of cancer, a personal history of cancer, prior awareness of CRC, and previous information about the disease. Additionally, they were more likely to have undergone CRC screening before and to believe that CRC screening is necessary.ConclusionIt was found that the majority of participants had no information on CRC and its screening program and never underwent CRC screening before. More studies should be performed to find out the factors negatively affecting the participation of individuals in the CRC screening program

Wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 during a mass sporting event in the City of Cape Town, Western Cape.

Wastewater surveillance has become an important public health tool with numerous research studies indicating its potential for monitoring coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks. The aim of this study was to apply wastewater surveillance as an indicator for COVID-19 to monitor the impact of a mass sporting event in the City of Cape Town. The study compared the same event over 2 years (2022 and 2023). Weekly grab wastewater samples were collected from wastewater treatment plants in the City of Cape Town, and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction used to quantify severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in wastewater. Our findings show a statistically significant correlation (rho = 0.68, p = 0.01) between clinical cases and concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater in the 2022 study period. During this specific period, a rise in clinical cases was observed 2 weeks after the event and the peaks in clinical cases coincided with the peaks in SARS-CoV-2 RNA level in wastewater. The study also found a statistically significant positive correlation (R 2 = 0.03, F (1,208) = 6.56, p = 0.01) between the SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and the 2022 event of the marathon hosted in the city. Due to the decrease in clinical testing and the country being a popular destination for mass gatherings such as sporting events, the results from this study indicate the potential of wastewater surveillance providing supplementary information to form part of public health risk evaluations for mass gatherings.

Creating a family health history interview protocol for use with undergraduate health professional students: A scoping review.

Family health history can be used as a health promotion tool to assess health risk, improve data collection and disease prevention, initiate interventions, and motivate behavioral change, but its utility as a public health tool has not been fully explored. Collecting information for a family health history can be a challenging task. However, it is an important skill for undergraduate students to learn, particularly those in pre-health majors. Our aim was to create a family interview protocol for students' successful family health history collection using findings from students' research papers and a scoping review. We summarized and listed suggestions from students' papers. Our scoping review followed Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) review process and the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Review checklist (2018). We used Medline, CINAHL (EBSCO), ERIC (ProQuest), Web of Science, and Academic Search Premiere databases and Google. Using Covidence, we included peer-reviewed, English, journal articles and grey literature, narrowing our key term combinations to terms like family health history, interview or protocol, and undergraduate or health professional student. Protocol suggestions included having appropriate settings and preparation to conduct interviews with questions on socio-demographics, cultural and family relationship dynamics, health behaviors, and acute and chronic condition questions for family members. Students' papers addressed preparation for conducting interviews and obtaining better data from existing family trees and extended relatives to maximize learning about risk assessment. The scoping review revealed two themes associated with family health history, including creating genograms and interview methods used with history taking. Implementing the protocol for future assignments will provide students with a training opportunity to identify their own disease risks, improve their family health history knowledge, and collect family health history data relevant to prevention and interventions focused on understanding chronic conditions and their management.

Need for a Strong FOPL in India-position Statement

Due to lifestyle changes, urbanization, and the rise of ultra-processed foods (UPF), India is undergoing a rapid nutritional transformation. These dietary shifts have significantly contributed to the rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which now account for a substantial portion of mortality and disease burden in the country. A strong Front-of-Pack Labeling (FOPL) system is recommended in this position statement as a powerful public health tool to address this issue. Through the provision of easily comprehensible nutritional data, FOPL encourages food producers to create healthier goods while empowering customers to make educated dietary decisions. Current labeling practices in India, such as the Indian Nutritional Rating (INR), fall short due to complexity and voluntary implementation. This paper evaluates international best practices, including warning labels and color-coded systems, highlighting their effectiveness in reducing the consumption of high-risk foods. We argue for straightforward, uniform, and globally evidence-based approach to mandatory FOPL implementation. Policymakers, industry stakeholders, and public health advocates must collaborate to develop an FOPL system that addresses India’s unique dietary landscape. Such an initiative is crucial to reducing the NCD burden and fostering healthier eating habits nationwide.

Influence of trust on the acceptance of the RTS,S malaria vaccine in the Kassena-Nankana districts of Ghana

BackgroundVaccines have increasingly become some of the most effective public health tools for promoting health and reducing the burden of infectious diseases. The availability of a malaria vaccine for routine use will be a major milestone, nonetheless, trust by the public for the vaccine could pose a major challenge for its acceptance. Documented evidence such as the boycott of the oral polio vaccine in northern Nigeria and the failure of the Ebola vaccine trial in Ghana among others highlight the impact of public trust on vaccine acceptance.MethodsThis is an explorative cross-sectional mixed-method study conducted in the Kassena Nankana districts. The study was conducted in the Kassena Nankana Districts between May and December 2020. A total of 390 structured questionnaires were administrated to mothers and caregivers of children under five years of age while 15 in-depth interviews were conducted with mothers and health workers. STATA software Version 16.0 was used to interpret the quantitative data, where bivariate and multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine the influence of trust on vaccine acceptance while QSR NVivo 12 software was used to code the qualitative data to aid the thematic analysis.ResultsThe results revealed that the level of knowledge of the RTS,S vaccine among participants was high. About 95.4% of the mothers had good knowledge of the malaria vaccine and more than half 61.2% of them got information about the vaccine from the health facility. The level of trust for the malaria vaccine was equally high with 91.4% of the mothers reporting that the vaccine treats childhood malaria. In a bivariate analysis, educational status (P = 0.013), ethnicity (P = 0.008), marital status (P = 0.041), education on the vaccine and perceived ineffectiveness P < 0.05, and trust for the malaria vaccine (P < 0.05) were found to be statistically associated with vaccine acceptance. Compared with participants who agree that vaccines are harmless to children, those who disagree were significantly less likely to accept vaccines (OR = 0.25, 95%CI [0.08, 0.83], p = 0.017). The qualitative data correspondingly revealed that mothers trusted vaccines which thus accounted for the high uptake of the malaria vaccine in the districts.ConclusionThe results of this study suggest that trust in the malaria vaccine is critical for its uptake. Therefore, efforts towards improving acceptance of the vaccine should be focused on building and sustaining trust for the vaccine among mothers and community members.

An Index-Contact Paired Data Analysis on Sexual Contact Tracing Outcomes of HIV-Infected Individuals - Yunnan Province, China, 2022-2024.

A substantial proportion of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) remain unaware of their infection status. Contact tracing serves as an effective public health tool for identifying human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections and supports progress toward achieving the 95-95-95-95 goals. An egocentric contact tracing study conducted in Yunnan, China, between January 2022 and June 2024 enrolled 1,981 index cases, of whom 314 (15.9%) had at least 1 HIV-positive sexual contact. These index cases reported 2,171 sexual contacts, with 1,509 (69.5%) receiving HIV testing and 317 (21.0%) testing positive. Higher education levels and employment status among sexual contacts were positively associated with HIV testing uptake. HIV infection was more likely among contacts when the index case was female and identified through active HIV testing. Long-term sexual partnerships and inconsistent condom use demonstrated elevated infection risk. The effectiveness of contact tracing outcomes is influenced by characteristics of both index cases and their sexual contacts. These factors should be incorporated into the design and implementation of sexual contact tracing programs.

Vaccines in the Era of Emerging Infectious Diseases: Immune Mechanisms and Innovations

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) continue to challenge global public health, driven by factors like climate change, urbanization, and increasing human-animal interactions. The rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for swift vaccine development and deployment. Vaccines remain one of the most effective public health tools, capable of preventing disease outbreaks by inducing immunity through humoral and cell-mediated mechanisms. Recent advancements in immunology and biotechnology have revolutionized vaccine development, enabling the creation of new platforms such as mRNA vaccines, viral vectors, and nanoparticle-based vaccines. These innovations allow for faster production, greater efficacy, and adaptability to novel pathogens. Additionally, new delivery methods, including microneedle patches and nasal sprays, aim to improve accessibility and ease of administration, particularly in low-resource settings. However, challenges such as vaccine equity, distribution logistics, and public hesitancy must be addressed to ensure broad and effective vaccination coverage. This review explores the immune mechanisms of vaccines, current vaccine technologies, and emerging innovations to address EIDs, with a focus on future preparedness for pandemics. Keywords: Emerging infectious diseases, vaccines, mRNA technology, nanoparticle vaccines, immune mechanisms, vaccine innovations

Age-Related Hearing Loss: A Cross-Sectional Study of Healthy Older Australians

Introduction: Hearing loss is common in ageing populations, but thorough investigation of factors associated with objective hearing loss in otherwise healthy, community-dwelling older individuals is rare. We examined prevalence of age-related hearing loss (ARHL) in healthy, community-dwelling older adults, and determined whether sociodemographic, lifestyle, or health factors associate with hearing thresholds. Audiometry assessment was investigated with self-reports of hearing loss and hearing handicap. Methods: Australian participants (n = 1,260) of median age 73 years (IQR 71–76) joined ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE)-Hearing, a sub-study of the ASPREE trial with exclusions including cognitive impairment, cardiovascular disease, independence-limiting physical disability, and uncontrolled hypertension. ASPREE collected demographics, anthropometrics, lifestyle, and health data. Audiometry measured better ear pure-tone average (PTA) across four frequencies (0.5–4 kHz) to establish hearing thresholds, categorised as normal or mild, moderate, and severe hearing loss. Questionnaires collected perceived hearing problems and noise exposure. Results: ARHL prevalence by audiometry was 49.7%, affecting men (59%) more than women (41%). A majority (54.5%) self-reported some hearing problems which mostly aligned with objective assessments; 45.6% self-reported a “little trouble” with hearing, while 35% had objective mild hearing loss; 8.3% reported having a “lot of trouble” hearing, while 13% had moderate hearing loss; and 0.6% reported being “deaf,” while 2% demonstrated severe hearing loss. There was a significant association (p < 0.001) between self-reported hearing handicap and audiometric measures of hearing loss. In multivariate analysis of health, demographics, and lifestyle risk factors, only age, gender (men), and education years (<12) remained associated (p < 0.05) with hearing loss. Hearing thresholds were not associated with smoking, living situation, alcohol use, hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease. Conclusion: ARHL robustly assessed by audiometry is common among healthy older Australians with men more likely to have abnormal hearing thresholds than women. Hearing loss was associated with fewer years of formal education, but not with a range of chronic conditions or alcohol use. Self-reported hearing loss correlates well with higher PTA hearing threshold levels in this healthy cohort where prevalence was lower than previously reported for the age group 70+ years. Hearing health education remains an important public health tool for this age. Targeting hearing in older patient health checks could be beneficial to mitigate the cognitive, social, and mental health consequences of ARHL, even if patients do not report a problem or handicap.

Health Trends Across Communities: Engaging Healthcare Systems, Public Health and Community in a Statewide Public Health Tool

Health Trends Across Communities: Engaging Healthcare Systems, Public Health and Community in a Statewide Public Health Tool

A Risk Management Approach to Global Pandemics of Infectious Disease and Anti-Microbial Resistance.

Pandemics of infectious disease and growing anti-microbial resistance (AMR) pose major threats to global health, trade, and security. Conflict and climate change compound and accelerate these threats. The One Health approach recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, but is grounded in the biomedical model, which reduces health to the absence of disease. Biomedical responses are insufficient to meet the challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic is the most recent example of the failure of this biomedical model to address global threats, the limitations of laboratory-based surveillance, and the exclusive focus on vaccination for disease control. This paper examines the current paradigm through the lens of polio and the global campaign to eradicate it, as well as other infectious threats including mpox and drug-resistant tuberculosis, particularly in the context of armed conflict. Decades before vaccines became widely available, public health measures-ventilation, chlorination, nutrition and sanitation- led to longer, healthier, and even taller lives. Chlorine, our primary tool of public health, conquered cholera and transformed infection control in hospitals. The World Health Organization (WHO), part of the One Health alliance, focuses mainly on antibiotics and vaccines to reduce deaths due to superbugs and largely ignores the critical role of chlorine to control water-borne diseases (including polio) and other infections. Moreover, the One Health approach ignores armed conflict. Contemporary wars are characterized by indiscriminate bombing of civilians, attacks targeting healthcare, mass displacement and lack of humanitarian access, conditions which drive polio outbreaks and incubate superbugs. We discuss the growing trend of attacks on healthcare and differentiate between types: community-driven attacks targeting vaccinators in regions like Pakistan, and state-sponsored attacks by governments such as those of Syria and Russia that weaponize healthcare to deliberately harm whole populations. Both fuel outbreaks of disease. These distinct motivations necessitate tailored responses, yet the WHO aggregates these attacks in a manner that hampers effective intervention. While antimicrobial resistance is predictable, the escalating pandemic is the consequence of our reliance on antibiotics and commitment to a biomedical model that now borders on pathological. Our analysis reveals the international indenture to the biomedical model as the basis of disease control is the root driver of AMR and vaccine-derived polio. The unique power of vaccines is reduced by vaccination-only strategy, and in fact breeds vaccine-derived polio. The non-specific effects of vaccines must be leveraged, and universal vaccination must be supplement by international investment in water chlorination will reduce health costs and strengthen global health security. While vaccines are an important weapon to combat pandemics and AMR,, they must be accompanied by the entire arsenal of public health interventions.

Behavioral and neural evidence for difficulty recognizing masked emotional faces.

Facial emotion recognition is vital for human social behavior. During the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks were widely adopted for viral mitigation and remain crucial public health tools. However, questions persist about their impact on emotion recognition and neural processing, especially in children, parents, and young adults. We developed the Masked Affective and Social Cognition task, featuring masked and unmasked faces displaying fear, sadness, and anger. We recruited three racial and ethnically diverse samples: 119 college students, 30 children who entered school age at the beginning of the pandemic, and 31 fathers of the aforementioned children. Of the latter two groups, 41 participants (n = 23 fathers, 18 children) did the Masked Affective and Social Cognition task during a neuroimaging scan, while the remaining 20 participants (n = 8 fathers, 12 children) who were not eligible for scanning completed the task during their lab visit. Behaviorally, we found that participants recognized emotions less accurately when viewing masked faces and also found an interaction of emotion by condition, such that accuracy was particularly compromised by sad masked faces. Neurally, masked faces elicited greater activation in the posterior cingulate, insula, and fusiform gyrus. Anterior insula and inferior frontal gyrus activation were driven by sad, masked faces. These results were consistent across age groups. Among fathers, activation to sad masked faces was associated with stress and depression. Overall, our findings did not depend on previous mask exposure or timing of participation during the pandemic. These results have implications for understanding face emotion recognition, empathy, and socioemotional neurodevelopment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

AI and data-driven urbanism: The Singapore experience

This paper presents a deep and critical analysis of Singapore's new wave of state-built digital tools and services and how it connects to its larger smart urbanism project, also known as Smart Nation. The COVID-19 pandemic, and particularly Singapore's response, served as a real-world testing ground for smart urbanist strategies. In particular, we analysed the logic that emanates from these novel digital interventions, how they operate on the complex urban built environment and the population, and their effects on urban and citizenry morphologies. Next, we examined a series of state-led technological implementations that have emerged since the Covid-19 pandemic, providing digital solutions that assist citizens with the changing rhythms of everyday living, data-capturing sensors and gantries to aid authorities in contract tracing efforts and enforce vaccination differentiation measures, geospatial digital mapping of demographic data, in withal robotics for automated policing and cleaning activities; and the use of AI and automated data-driven tools in public health to improve service delivery and care to patients. While we are unable to exhaust every piece of technology for the purpose of this paper, these developments, along with their design thinking and operations, we argue, are helpful in revealing the contemporary conjectures of Singaporean digital urban idealism and the governing strategies of the state. By examining Singapore's response, this study aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on smart urbanism, offering insights into how cities can leverage technology effectively while balancing technological innovation with privacy and public trust.