Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, at the Opening Ceremony of World Diabetes Day Singapore 2016, 13 November 2016

Mr Yong Chiang Boon, President of the Diabetic Society of Singapore (DSS)

Dr Kevin Tan, Chair of the Organising Committee for World Diabetes Day Singapore 2016

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning.

FOCUS ON DIABETES – A GROWING HEALTH CONCERN

1.            It is my pleasure to join you here today to commemorate World Diabetes Day Singapore. This year’s theme ‘Focus on Diabetes’ is most appropriate, given the growing health concern of diabetes, both globally and in Singapore.

2.            Today, there are about 400,000 Singapore residents with diabetes. One in three Singaporeans have a lifetime risk of developing the disease. The disease can lead to serious complications if poorly controlled, and affect one’s quality of life. If we do not take action today, it is estimated that one million Singapore residents will have diabetes by 2050. In April this year, MOH declared War on Diabetes, and set up the national Diabetes Prevention and Care Taskforce to spearhead efforts to address diabetes in three key aspects: healthy living and prevention, screening and follow-up, and disease management. To raise public awareness and knowledge of diabetes, we have also ramped up efforts in public communications and stakeholder engagement.

UPDATE ON WAR ON DIABETES PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EXERCISE

3.            The War on Diabetes is a whole-of-nation effort which requires the commitment of every Singaporean. To encourage all of you to share your views and suggestions on how we can fight diabetes collectively as a nation, we launched a six-month public engagement exercise in September to engage Singaporeans from all walks of life.

4.            To date, we have garnered over 1,600 responses through eight roadshows and dialogue sessions. I am heartened to know that many participants recognised that health is ultimately a personal responsibility and that managing one’s health is the first step to fight diabetes. For instance, some suggested reducing sugar intake, opting for whole-grains, exercising more regularly, and going for appropriate health screenings as ways they could take charge of their own health.

5.            We have also received good ideas on how we can encourage Singaporeans to adopt healthy lifestyles to fight diabetes. Some suggested focusing on making healthier food and drink options more easily available, while others who responded proposed expanding fitness programmes in the community to make exercise more accessible and convenient, and bringing diabetes screening to more workplaces and community venues.

6.            We will study all these ideas, and work on implementing good ones as we develop our multi-year Diabetes Action Plan. Our vision is to create a supportive environment for individuals to lead lives free from diabetes, and for those with diabetes to have their condition well managed so that they can enjoy a good quality of life.

7.            The public engagement has not ended, and we welcome Singaporeans to continue the conversation with us. In the weeks ahead, we will be holding more dialogue sessions on topics such as dining out healthily, and ways to adopt a healthy lifestyle from a young age. For those who are unable to join us at the face-to-face sessions, we will be launching an online public consultation from January next year, to allow more Singaporeans to participate in this national conversation. I look forward to hearing more ideas and suggestions from all of you.

LIVING WELL WITH DIABETES

8.            While we do our best to prevent diabetes, we will also need to help those with diabetes to continue living well. The Taskforce is currently exploring ways to optimise diabetes management and care, and prevent or slow down progression to diabetes-related complications. This includes anchoring the care of diabetic patients with their regular family doctor within the community. The family doctor can provide good care for the diabetic patient, as well as their family members who may also be at risk of developing diabetes.

9.            We will continue to engage and work with key stakeholders, including the patient and caregiver community. I am happy to note that DSS has been an important partner in diabetes management. For example, DSS has a mobile bus clinic that accepts referrals from general practitioners (GPs) for foot and eye screenings. These support services enable GPs to provide more holistic care, which is integral to good diabetes management. DSS and its partners also provide financial assistance to low-income families for medical products and educational programmes.

10.         DSS has also been active in raising awareness about diabetes prevention and management. Today’s event, for example, provides many opportunities for the public to learn more about diabetes, screen for it, and even receive counselling and guidance on disease management. DSS also has active educational and outreach programs disseminated through nurse educators, talks, forums and workshops.

EVERYONE HAS A RESPONSIBILITY AND ROLE IN THE WAR ON DIABETES

11.         According to HPB’s Health Behaviour Surveillance of Singapore 2016, Singaporeans are generally aware of diabetes, with nine out of ten respondents knowing how serious a condition diabetes is, and that it is a preventable disease. This is encouraging. However, the perceived risk of getting diabetes is low. At the same time, eight in ten adult Singaporeans felt that good dietary practices such as taking less starchy food, less sweetened food and beverages were most important lifestyle factors contributing to diabetes prevention. Only four in ten adult Singaporeans identified physical activity as a factor to prevent diabetes. There is therefore room to share with Singaporeans about the risk of developing diabetes, and on diabetes prevention and management.

12.         To commemorate World Diabetes Day, we will launch a public education campaign to emphasise that healthy living is a choice that all of us can make on a daily basis. If we make the right choices by eating healthily and exercising regularly, we can reduce our risks of getting diabetes. In the next two months, we will reach out to Singaporeans through a variety of channels – mass media, social media and even physical installations in central and heartland areas, which we hope will spark further conversations on this topic and reflection on our personal choices in life and health.

13.         While the government and voluntary welfare organisations such as DSS will do our best to promote good diabetes prevention, screening and management, individuals also have the responsibility to take charge of their own health, and make healthy lifestyle choices. I encourage all of us to make a personal commitment towards leading a healthy lifestyle, to beat diabetes.

CONCLUSION

14.         Everyone has a role to play in this War on Diabetes. I hope that through the talks and activities later, you will gain a better understanding of the condition and pledge your support in our War. I wish DSS a successful World Diabetes Day Singapore 2016. Together, let’s beat diabetes!

15.         Thank you.