Speeches
Speech by Minister for Health, Mr Gan Kim Yong, at the National Heart Week/ World Heart Day
10 January 2012
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Dr Low Li Ping, Chairman of Singapore Heart Foundation,
Singapore Heart Foundation Board Members,
Distinguished guests,
Friends from the media,
Ladies and gentlemen.
INTRODUCTION
1. Good afternoon to you. I am pleased to join you here today, for the celebration of National Heart Week and World Heart Day. As Dr Low pointed out, currently we have a National Conversation, where the theme is Home and Heart, Yesterday, at a nursing home, I talked about a big heart. Today, I will talk about having a strong and healthy heart.
HIGH BURDEN OF HEART DISEASE
2. It is very fitting that the theme for this year’s World Heart Day is One World, One Home, One Heart. This is in continuation from the World Heart Federation’s 2011 theme of heart health in the home. This year, I was told that the Foundation will be focusing on the heart disease risk of women and children, who are often overlooked – as Dr Low pointed out, most of us think of it as a man’s disease. Although men are at higher risk for heart attacks, there were more than 2000 women who suffered heart attacks in 2009[1] alone. Indeed, cardiovascular diseases have a significant impact on morbidity and mortality, and can potentially affect any one of us. According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 30% of all global deaths[2]. By 2030, it is estimated that almost 23.6 million people will die from cardiovascular diseases every year and the largest increase in the number of deaths will occur in the South-East Asia Region[3]. In Singapore, ischemic heart disease accounted for 18.7% of all deaths and was the 3rd leading cause of admissions in 2010[4].
HEALTH PROMOTION
3. Tackling heart disease starts at the source by addressing the many preventable risk factors. As you know, smoking, physical inactivity and an unhealthy diet increase your risk of heart disease. The good news is that quitting smoking has immediate benefits on your health, and within 1 year, your risk of smoking-related heart disease reduces by 50%[5]. Increasing physical activity not only helps reduce your risk of heart disease, but also improves balance and coordination, prevents falls, and reduces stress and anxiety. The one way to reduce stress and anxiety of PSLE is to exercise regularly. My ministry and the Health Promotion Board have put in place programmes like I Quit, Lose to Win and Healthier Hawker choices to encourage Singaporeans to take charge of their health.
EARLY DETECTION AND TREATMENT
4. Diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol also put you at increased risk of heart disease. They are often symptom-free initially, but early detection and control is important to reduce the risk of heart disease. Therefore, the Health Promotion Board has introduced the Integrated Screening Program (ISP) for all Singapore residents 40 years and above. This includes screening for obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.
5. I am heartened to hear of Singapore Heart Foundation’s efforts in this area of screening with the BP Initiative @ Schools, which reached out to more than 9,000 students, 250 parent volunteers and 8,800 family members through talks and workshops held in 33 schools in 2011, and I am sure that these young students would be able to pass on the valuable knowledge on the importance of monitoring blood pressure readings to their friends and their family members.
6. For those who have been detected to have diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol, optimal control reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. My ministry has put in place programmes aimed at improving accessibility of primary care to better manage these conditions. The Chronic Disease Management Program (CDMP) allows patients with any one of 10 chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, to use Medisave to pay for their medical treatment, with the aim to improve access to primary care for the management of these chronic diseases. Since its inception, the number of patients who had used Medisave for Chronic Disease Management increased from 20,000 in 2006 to 124,000 in 2009[6]. On 1 Jan 2012, the annual withdrawal limit was increased from $300 to $400.
7. As I announced earlier this year, we have been engaging interested parties to set up the first Family Medicine Clinics (FMCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs)[7]. Pilot FMCs and CHCs are in the developmental stage and will bring care closer to patients in the community.
8. Another initiative is the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS), previously known as Primary Care Partnership Scheme (PCPS), which aims to help provide accessible and affordable primary care to Singaporeans. Under this scheme, eligible patients can make use of portable subsidies to receive subsidised services at private general practitioners and FMCs. In January this year, the eligibility criteria were expanded to reach out to a larger population.
SERVICES FOR ACUTE MANAGEMENT OF HEART DISEASE
9. Managing heart disease when it strikes is also important, and I would like to acknowledge the efforts and dedication of our doctors, nurses and healthcare staff. The National Heart Centre held its ground-breaking ceremony for its new home in 2009, and is expected to move in by 2013, where it will increase its clinic capacity two-fold to serve more patients.
MESSAGE FOR SCREENING AND LEADING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
10. We can prevent cardiovascular disease, and it is time for us to take action now. Today, I encourage all of you to participate in the Singapore Heart Foundation’s Heart Fair to pick up tips and learn more about cardiovascular diseases. It is important to lead an active lifestyle, exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet, to reduce the risk of heart disease. In addition, it is also important to remember to go for regular health screening for chronic diseases and not wait for signs and symptoms to appear. Detecting these conditions early, together with good management of your health conditions, will allow you to lead a better quality of life. It is a simple message and one that I hope all Singaporeans would take to heart.
11. I wish all of you good health, and may all of you be empowered to live heart-healthier lives. Thank you!
[1] Information paper on AMI in Singapore, NRDO, 2011
[2] http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs317/en/index.html#
[3] http://www.aphn.info/aboutus.html
[4] Health Facts Singapore, MOH
[5] http://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/health-article/434
[7] MOH 2012 Committee of Supply Speech Healthcare 2020