Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, at the Opening Ceremony of the Royal College Of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists World Congress, 22 March 2018

Professor Lesley Regan, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RCOG)

Associate Professor Devendra, President of the Obstetrical & Gynaelogical (O&G) Society of Singapore

Distinguished Speakers & Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen 

Introduction

    Good evening, and to all our overseas guests, a very warm welcome to Singapore. I am very happy to join you today at the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RCOG) World Congress 2018, in collaboration with the O&G Society of Singapore.

RCOG’s impact on Obstetrics & Gynaecology in Singapore

2.    Obstetrics & Gynaecology in Singapore have indeed come a long way over the past 50 years. Today, women in Singapore have access to a comprehensive range of world class preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic services in O&G. Consequently, Singapore now has one of the lowest maternal and perinatal mortality rates.

3.    These advancements would not have been possible without the support and help from the RCOG. Today, the RCOG continues to represent a high standard of practice in the field, and membership of the Royal College remains a prestigious goal amongst O&G trainees.

4.    Singapore had the privilege to host the first international scientific meeting of the RCOG in 1990. It is indeed an honour that Singapore is now hosting the RCOG world congress again after 28 years.

The development of O&G in Singapore

5.    I would like to take the opportunity to commend Singapore’s O&G fraternity for their contributions on the local and international stage. Notable leaders include Professor Ariff Bongso and the late Professor S.S. Ratnam. The late Professor Ratnam and his team at Singapore’s KK Hospital achieved the first IVF pregnancy in Asia in 1983, 5 years after the first test tube baby was born in Britain. In 1994, Professor Ariff Bongso became the first researcher in the world to isolate stem cells from human embryos.

6.    Singapore has also participated in several landmark multicentre global trials including the HPV Vaccine Future Trial and Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes (HAPO) trials. These trials have greatly impacted healthcare for women around the world, and are in line with our vision to be at the forefront in advancing women’s health.

Important changes in care for women in Singapore

7.    Singapore’s healthcare landscape is evolving and the Ministry of Health (MOH) is adapting its policies to meet the demands of our changing disease demographics.

8.    Gestational Diabetes, for example, is a key focus in Singapore’s War on Diabetes. We have one of the highest incidences of Gestational Diabetes (GDM) worldwide, with an estimated one in five pregnancies complicated by GDM. Research from the local Growing Up Towards Healthy Outcomes (i.e. GUSTO) study showed a higher incidence of GDM than previously thought. As a result of these findings, routine GDM screenings are now readily available for all pregnant women under the care of Singapore’s public health institutions since March 2017. As GDM is associated with an increased risk of diabetes mellitus, GDM has also been incorporated into the diabetes risk assessment tool developed by our Health Promotion board to identify the population that has a higher risk of diabetes.

9.    The Integrated Platform for research in Advancing Metabolic Health Outcomes in Women and Children (IPRAMHO) was initiated by KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital in 2017, in collaboration with Singhealth Polyclinics and National Health Polyclinics. The platform allows local investigators to collaborate with our Asian counterparts in discovering new evidence-based screenings and interventions for metabolic diseases such as GDM.

10.    Singapore’s efforts to better women’s health is also evident in our health promotion initiatives against cervical cancer. Pap smear is an effective screening tool for cervical cancer, and is available to eligible women at a subsidised rate in polyclinics and participating General Practitioner clinics under the Screen for Life (SFL) programme. Regular screening can prevent missed opportunities in detection, to facilitate early intervention and prevent progression to later-stage cancer. Once the fourth most common cancer among women in Singapore in the 1970s, cervical cancer has now dropped to number ten^[1] and we hope it will drop further. Singapore also advocates the primary prevention of cervical cancer through HPV vaccinations, and eligible females are now able to utilise their Medisave funds to pay for these vaccinations.

11.    As our healthcare landscape evolves, research will continue to play an important role in supporting and developing Singapore’s evidence-based policies. It is through your hard work that we hope to continue to improve the health of all women in Singapore and around the world.

Conclusion

12.    In closing, let me congratulate the members of the organising committee for putting together a successful and thought-provoking programme. I wish you all a fruitful, memorable and engaging congress.

Thank you.

^[1]Singapore Cancer Registry, 2016