Launch of Public Consultation Exercise on Healthy Living Master Plan

Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, announced at the Committee of Supply Debates last month the development of a Healthy Living Master Plan (HLMP). The development of the HLMP was spearheaded by a Task Force led by Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Parliamentary Secretary for Health, and comprising members from the community, grassroots organisations, healthcare providers and government agencies.

2          The HLMP aims to keep Singaporeans healthy and free of illness and disability for as long as possible through the adoption and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. The vision of the Master Plan is to ensure that all Singaporeans have access to a healthy lifestyle so that healthy living becomes natural and effortless for all. The HLMP is a roadmap for how we can achieve this vision of a healthy Singapore and will leverage connections across government agencies, communities and between the community and the government¹.

3          The HLMP is built upon the successful integration of the 3Ps – Place, People and Price.

i)             Place: Create the right environment that is conducive for everyone to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle;

ii)            People: Create a socially inclusive healthy community for everyone to be actively engaged and aware of opportunities for leading healthy lifestyles; and

iii)           Price: Create affordable options so that healthy lifestyle is within the reach of all.

4          For the HLMP to be owned and acted upon by one and all within the community, the Task Force is launching a six-week-long public consultation exercise starting from Monday, 22 April, 2013, to seek views from the public to turn the vision in the HLMP into reality. Public inputs and feedback may be provided on the following areas of healthy living:

i) Balanced diet

ii) Physical activity

iii) Mental wellbeing

iv) Health screening and follow-up

v) Smoke-free lifestyle

vi) Immunisation

5          As part of the exercise, the public may contribute their views and feedback via the following website: http://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/home/legislation/eConsultation.html. They may also write in via post with their comments to the following address:

The Healthy Living Master Plan Task Force

Strategic Planning and Collaborations

3 Second Hospital Avenue

Singapore 168937

6          The public consultation exercise will include three face-to-face community dialogue sessions (English/ Mandarin, Malay and Tamil), to seek views and feedback from members of the public. The dialogues are also part of Ministry of Health (MOH)’s Our Singapore Conversation. Details for registration would be announced soon.

7          The findings of the public consultation exercise will allow gaps and concerns on healthy living to be identified and addressed. The Task Force welcomes Singaporeans to contribute their views and feedback actively. The public consultation exercise closes on Friday, 31 May, 2013.

Ministry of Health

¹ http://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/home/pressRoom/speeches_d/2013/cos-speech-by-parliamentary-secretary-for-health--a-professor-mu.html