Singapore Health Initiative
Healthier SG is a Singapore government initiative aimed at transforming the healthcare system, shifting emphasis from reactively caring for those who are sick, to proactively preventing individuals from illness. The objective is for the population to reshape their behaviors and lifestyles. It aims to shift the center of gravity in healthcare from acute hospitals to the community. This is Singapore’s biggest healthcare reform since 1993 and looks to refresh the country’s social compact and support individuals as they chart their own journey towards better health.
The plan is to anchor each Singapore resident with a family physician and foster community support for healthier lifestyles. The end goal is to prevent or delay the deterioration of health, reduce the burden on family and the community, extend healthy life years and improve quality of life. Ultimately and over time, this should moderate the increase in healthcare expenditure. It is important and more beneficial to encourage the population to adopt a healthy lifestyle than to spend large amounts on medical services.
One in four Singaporeans is expected to be 65 and above by 2030 and Singapore has a rapidly aging population. The prevalence of chronic diseases is high, 32 % of the population has hypertension and 37%, hyperlipidemia. Such challenges will cause significant health, emotional and financial burden.
The five key features of the Healthier SG are mobilizing family physicians to deliver preventive care for residents; second, develop comprehensive health plans that include lifestyle adjustments, free health screenings and appropriate immunizations; third, engage community partners to support residents in leading healthier lifestyles; fourth, encourage the population to each enroll and commit to a seeing a family doctor and adopt a health plan; lastly, to harness digitalization to enable Healthier SG to work. The Singapore Ministry of Health will lead this initiative. It is estimated that Singapore will spend over USD750 million or SGD1 billion over the next four years. It will be implemented in phases with those who already have chronic illnesses to enroll first, followed by those aged 60 and above, and in time, the entire population.
U.S. companies who wish to learn more about Singapore’s new preventive care strategy or have expertise, products or services that can help realize this Healthier SG goal and develop a supportive ecosystem may contact Ms. Luanne Theseira at the U.S. Commercial Service, Singapore.