Singapore will host the inaugural Ministerial Conference on Diabetes on 26 and 27 November 2018 at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Singapore. The Conference will bring together more than 300 international and local delegates, including health ministers, senior government officials, academics and thought leaders from 18 countries and regions1. Delegates will share best practices and insights, discuss the challenges and opportunities arising from the global diabetes epidemic, and build on the collective knowledge to address the challenges that diabetes inflicts on society. Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, will attend the opening ceremony as the guest of honour and deliver the opening address.
2. Diabetes poses a large and growing burden for many countries around the world and Singapore is no exception. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, as the leading cause of death and disability globally. NCDs are responsible for 71% of all deaths worldwide2, and more than half of the global burden of diseases3. 8.5% of the adult population worldwide, or approximately 422 million individuals, are estimated to have diabetes4. In Singapore, there are currently over 450,0005 Singaporeans living with the condition. One in three Singaporeans has a lifetime risk of getting diabetes, and the number of those with diabetes is projected to reach one million by 2050 if current trends continue.
3. Singapore declared a War on Diabetes in 2016 to rally a whole-of-nation effort to create a supportive environment for people in Singapore to take steps towards preventing diabetes or living well with proper management of the disease. The Conference will be a key platform for Singapore and the global community to collectively strengthen the global response towards tackling diabetes. The Conference will focus on three key discussion themes:
- Examining the global diabetes epidemic, as well as the challenges and opportunities arising from this problem;
- Tackling diabetes through health promotion and primary care, to create supportive environments for individuals; and
- Leveraging technology and behavioural insights to enable changes for better health
4. The keynote speakers for the Conference are:
- Dr Svetlana Axelrod, Assistant Director-General for Non Communicable Diseases and Mental Health, World Health Organization;
- Dr Sania Nishtar, Co-Chair, Independent High-Level Global Commission on Non-Communicable Diseases, World Health Organization; and
- Professor Paul Zimmet, Professor of Diabetes, Monash University, Australia.
5. The Conference will conclude with a Ministerial Roundtable, where attending health ministers and senior government officials will discuss how nations can effectively leverage and prioritise innovation, strengthen social mobilisation, and better cooperate with key stakeholders to address the global issue of diabetes and other NCDs.
6. For more information, please refer to the Singapore Ministerial Conference on Diabetes website at:
www.mcod2018.sg. The programme for the Conference can be found in Annex.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH
25 NOVEMBER 2018
1Participating countries and regions include: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Finland, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Japan, Laos PDR, Malaysia, Macao SAR, Myanmar, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Tonga, United Kingdom, United States of America and Viet Nam.
2Source: WHO June 2018
3Benziger CP, Roth GA, Moran AE. The Global Burden of Disease study and the preventable burden of NCD. Global Heart. .2016 Dec 8; 11(4):393 - 397
4Source: WHO Global Report on Diabetes 2016
5Includes individuals with undiagnosed diabetes
ANNEX
CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Keynote Addresses |
Dr Svetlana Axelrod, Assistant Director-General for Non Communicable Diseases and Mental Health, World Health Organization
Dr Svetlana Axelrod will share the World Health Organization’s perspective on the global NCD epidemic, with a focus on diabetes.This will be addressed in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and will touch on WHO’s response to support the adoption of effective measures for preventing and controlling diabetes and its complications.
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Dr Sania Nishtar, Co-Chair, Independent High-Level Global Commission on Non-Communicable Diseases, World Health Organization
The WHO High-Level Commission on NCDs was established in October 2017 to identify innovative ways to curb the world’s biggest causes of death and extend life expectancy for millions of people.Dr Sania Nishtar will share more on the Report of the WHO Independent High-Level Commission on NCDs that was published in June 2018 and the considerations behind the key recommendations.
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Professor Paul Zimmet, Professor of Diabetes, Monash University, Australia
The global fight against diabetes depends on global policies on diabetes prevention and management play a critical role and also involves non-health sectors (e.g. agriculture, trade, built environment). Professor Paul Zimmet will speak on the evolution and evidence of the global diabetes epidemic, as well as its global economic impact. |
Panel discussions |
Panel I: The Diabetes Epidemic – Current Situation, Challenges and Opportunities
The diabetes epidemic is becoming ever more pertinent, with its growing disease burden and the ageing population. This session aims to provide an overview of the current diabetes situation worldwide, and discuss the challenges faced in diabetes prevention, management and control.
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Panel II: Tackle Diabetes through Supportive Environments – Health Promotion and Primary Care
Social and physical environments are key determinents of health. This session examines how the environment, health promoting policies and primary care can foster the adoption and maintenance of healthy living.
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Panel III: Enabling Change for Better Health – Leveraging Technology and Behavioural Insights
There is increased global interest in leveraging Information Technology to enhance health promotion efforts and optimise healthcare delivery. This session focuses on how we can leverage innovation, technology and behavioural sciences to encourage people to make better choices for themselves and their families.
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Ministerial Roundtable |
Health is at the heart of our agenda and tackling non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes is crucial in delivering our Sustainable Development Goals. The Ministerial Roundtable will discuss how nations can effectively leverage and prioritise innovation, strengthen social mobilisation, and better cooperate with key stakeholders to address the global epidemic of diabetes and other NCDs.
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