Achievements of HPB and HSA in combating top 5 causes of death

23 Nov 2009

Question No:  43   

Question

Name of the Person: Ms Ellen Lee Geck Hoon

To ask the Minister for Health (a) what have the Health Promotion Board and Health Sciences Authority done in the past three years in combating the top five causes of deaths in Singapore; and (b) besides traditional public education on the food pyramid and cutting down on unhealthy foods, what has his Ministry done in terms of research and development to keep pace with new discoveries and studies and to educate the populace contemporaneously on the effects of certain foods such as artificial sweeteners, transfats, chlorinated water, artificial colouring/flavouring and food additives. 

Reply

Reply From MOH

1. In Singapore, the top five causes of deaths, in descending order of significance, are (a) cancer, (b) ischaemic heart disease, (c) pneumonia, (d) cerebrovascular diseases including stroke and (e) accidents, poisoning and violence. 

2. To combat these major killers, our focus is on prevention, early detection and chronic disease management. The risk factors are well-established: smoking, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, obesity, and chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. 

3. To help bring about behavioural change, we have a range of health promotion strategies, including public education, capacity building, and partnering with stakeholders in the school, community, workplace and healthcare settings, to create a supportive environment.

4. For instance, this year’s National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign focuses on obesity and its prevention. A national weight-loss challenge “Lose to Win” was well supported by both employers and employees at the workplace. HPB also works closely with the food industry to offer a wider range of healthier food for consumers.  

5. Over the past three years, we have rolled out an Integrated Screening programme and launched a “Screening on Wheels” workplace programme to encourage early detection of chronic diseases and selected cancers through regular evidence-based screening. There are on-going national screening programmes for breast and cervical cancers and a national colorectal cancer screening programme is being piloted.

6. For those with a chronic condition such as diabetes, HPB has launched the Nurse Educator Programme to educate and motivate them to better manage their condition.  This requires support by the primary healthcare providers and the patients’ families.  Compliance to proper disease management programme is key to avoiding future complications, like heart attack, stroke or organ failure.

7. To ensure that Singaporeans have access to safe and healthy food, my Ministry works closely with other agencies such as the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) and the Public Utilities Board (PUB) to keep abreast of new developments and to educate the public regarding food and water safety.

8. The AVA takes the lead on food safety.  It educates food traders and members of the public on the safety of food additives through seminars, workshops and dialogue sessions on a regular basis. All food additives permitted in Singapore have to pass international food safety standards. In addition, the AVA further regulates the maximum level of use of food additives by taking reference from levels permitted in other developed countries, while the HPB regularly monitors the dietary intake pattern in our local population. HSA’s Food Safety Laboratory also constantly evaluates innovative new testing methodologies for food additives, food packaging contaminants etc. 

9. As for trans fat, HPB has conducted local studies which show that 3 in 10 adults, particularly those aged 18 to 39, have exceeded the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended daily limit.  We will step up public education on the harms of excessive consumption of trans fat, and work in close partnership with AVA to review the trans fat levels in the food supply.

10. Finally, the WHO supports the use of chlorine for disinfection of drinking water. This is safe when applied below specified levels, effective against waterborne pathogens and is beneficial to public health. PUB drinking water is treated to a quality well within “WHO guidelines for Drinking Water Quality” and is safe for life-long consumption. The WHO Guideline Value for chlorine is 5 mg/litre while the residual chlorine in PUB’s water supply is typically less than 2 mg/litre.