The annual number of preschools with HFMD

NOTICE PAPER NO. 1804
NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER
FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON OR AFTER 22 MARCH 2023

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang
MP for Nee Soon GRC

Question No. 4348

To ask the Minister for Health what is the annual number and percentage of (i) childcare centres and (ii) kindergartens affected by hand, foot and mouth disease for each year in the past five years. 

Answer

1     MOH monitors the Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) situation through a sentinel surveillance programme involving selected hospitals, polyclinics and GP clinics. 

2     HFMD is  a mild and self-limiting illness and there were no reported severe HFMD cases since 2019. HFMD is common during childhood and it is not unusual to have HFMD cases or clusters of two or more cases in preschools. Based on data from 2018 to 2022, the annual number of preschools with HFMD clusters ranged from 352 to 1,073 for childcare centres and 34 to 152 for kindergartens, accounting for about 23% to 66% of childcare centres and 11% to 37% of kindergartens. The number of reported clusters in childcare centres and kindergartens had decreased in 2020 and 2021, likely influenced by COVID-19 related community safe management measures. Although the number of reported clusters had increased in 2022, it is too soon to determine whether this reflects a rising trend beyond that seen in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.