SPEECH BY DR KOH POH KOON, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE, MOH AND MOM, AT THE 6TH SINGAPORE PREVENTION & CARDIAC REHABILITATION SYMPOSIUM

Professor Tan Huay Cheem, Chairman, Singapore Heart Foundation

Dr Tan Yong Seng, Chairperson, Heart Wellness Centre Committee and Vice Chairman, Singapore Heart Foundation

Dr Violet Hoon, Chairperson, Organising Committee, Singapore Prevention and Cardiac Rehabilitation Symposium 2025 (SPCRS 2025)

Clin Asst Prof Ho Jien Sze, Chairperson, Scientific Committee of the SPCRS 2025

Board members of the Singapore Heart Foundation

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, and friends who have come from afar

 Good morning and a warm welcome to everyone. I am very delighted to be here at Singapore Heart Foundation’s (SHF) sixth edition of the Singapore Prevention and Cardiac Rehabilitation Symposium.

2.         As you know, we are celebrating the 55^th anniversary of the Singapore Heart Foundation. As a colorectal surgeon, I can tell you that I can remove the entire colon, and a person can still live to full life expectancy with not much decline in functional abilities. But if your heart is kaput, it’s the end for you. That is why I have always had utmost respect for my cardiology colleagues, who keep our hearts pumping.

3.         Every two years, SHF brings together healthcare and allied health professionals from the region for this symposium, to exchange insights and best practices in the field of preventive cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation and share recent evidence-based solutions and innovative approaches. All of you here play a very important role in keeping more hearts pumping and keeping everyone alive. The theme for this year is “Reimagining Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention: Thinking Outside the Box”, and I look forward to your exploration of new and innovative ways of improving Singapore’s cardiovascular health. And hopefully, many of these explorations will be brought to the region as well, to benefit many more people.

Preventive care efforts against cardiovascular diseases

4.         In Singapore, our nation’s heart health has always been high on our public health agenda, and the reason is very clear. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounted for about one third of all deaths in Singapore in 2024. In 2022, an average of 36 Singaporeans had a heart attack each day, which is an increase from 25 a day in 2012. This is really on an upward trend.

5.         What makes these statistics particularly concerning is the prevalence of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, including obesity, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol. Obesity prevalence has increased from 10.8% in 2010, to 11.8% in 2022. Similarly, high blood pressure prevalence increased from 19.8% in 2010, to 37.0% in 2022. That is a significant increase. With our ageing population and the rising prevalence of these risk factors, the burden of CVD is likely to continue to increase in the long-term. So we have to do something about it.

6.         We are taking a multi-pronged approach to address the key risk factors. First, we are encouraging healthier diets through efforts to increase the availability of healthier foods and to help our residents make informed food choices. For example, through the mandatory Nutri-Grade labelling and prohibition of advertisements for high-sugar beverages, we have successfully encouraged industry reformulation, with the median sugar level of pre-packaged drinks dropping from 7.1% in 2017 to 4.6% in 2023 – almost half. We are also seeing shifts in consumer behaviour, with the percentage of healthier beverages graded “A” or “B” purchased increasing from 37% in 2017 to 71% in 2023. The median sugar content has reduced almost by half, while the purchasing behaviour of healthier beverages has almost doubled – so that is a good trend.

7.         We are also concerned with excessive consumption of sodium and saturated fat. High sodium and saturated fat consumption are key risk factors for high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol respectively. To this end, we will be extending similar Nutri-Grade measures to cover key contributors of sodium and saturated fat intake from mid-2027, as part of our overall efforts to support healthier diets.

8.         Second, we are combating sedentary lifestyles by encouraging the public to get out and move about more. For example, through collaborations with public and private sector partners, a variety of physical activity programmes, including self-directed ones such as the National Steps Challenge, are available for Singapore residents of all ages and fitness levels to participate in the workplace and in the community. Residents can use the Healthy 365 app to sign up for these programmes, as well as set personalised health goals and track daily steps and participation in moderate to vigorous physical activity. As a bonus, as residents stay active, they can also earn Healthpoints that can be exchanged for supermarket or public transport vouchers.

9.         Third, smoking is also a significant risk factor for CVD. On this point, fortunately for us, smoking prevalence has been on a downward trend and has reduced from 10.6% in 2019 to 8.4% in 2024. To encourage Singapore residents to lead a nicotine-free lifestyle, Singapore adopts a multi-pronged approach including policy measures, public education and cessation programmes for those who wish to quit.  

Healthier SG to strengthen preventive health

10.       We have launched Healthier SG to strengthen preventive health. Healthier SG, for friends who have come from overseas and may not be familiar, is a programme that helps residents anchor with their primary care provider. Residents take charge of their health through tailored Health Plans which they develop with their enrolled Healthier SG doctor. Under Healthier SG, there are Care Protocols to guide family doctors in the management of a growing range of chronic conditions, including conditions like stable ischaemic heart disease.

Innovation to enhance cardiac prevention and diagnostics

11.       Building on these foundational efforts, we are also innovating on the cardiac prevention front, through advanced approaches to early detection and risk identification. An example is the national Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) genetic testing programme, which we just launched in June 2025 as part of the broader shift towards preventive care. The programme leverages genetic testing to identify individuals and their family members with FH so that they can be provided with targeted and timely interventions to reduce the risk of premature heart disease.

12.       Diagnostic imaging has also been augmented by AI. For example, at the National Heart Centre Singapore, the Cardiovascular Systems Imaging and Artificial Intelligence (CVS.AI) research laboratory harnesses the power of AI to enhance cardiac imaging and support timely, data-driven clinical decisions. One of the tools that the CVS.AI lab has studied is the AI-driven National Platform for CT COronary Angiography for ClinicaL and IndustriaL ApplicatiOns (APOLLO). APOLLO aimed to improve the accuracy and speed of interpreting CT scans using AI, to aid diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease. I note there will be a talk today on CVS.AI’s ongoing research projects and innovations aimed at transforming cardiovascular care.

Cardiac rehabilitation efforts

13.       Following acute care, cardiac rehabilitation remains a crucial component in managing CVD and reducing hospitalisation risks. Through personalised programmes incorporating lifestyle changes, dietary modifications, and exercise regimens, patients receive support to improve their outcomes and reduce mortality and morbidity risks. In the wearable technology front, there have been developments which leverage gamification, to empower patients to exercise on their own while being monitored remotely, and improve the adherence rates for cardiac rehabilitation. So we have gone beyond the traditional, thinking out of the box as the topic today beholds us to do, by leveraging cutting edge technology including AI, to do a lot more in various aspects of clinical care.

 Closing

14.       In this fight against heart disease, we are fortunate to have alongside with us strong partners like SHF, with your three-pronged strategy to combat heart disease through prevention, rehabilitation, and resuscitation. SHF’s efforts to educate the public on the importance of heart health, rehabilitate patients at the Heart Wellness Centres, and train individuals in CPR and AED use are important in keeping the hearts of Singaporeans healthy.    

15.       I would like to thank SHF for all your good work in advancing cardiovascular care for CVD prevention and management. Thank you also for organising this symposium, which provides a valuable platform for knowledge exchange between leading minds in cardiology, and also incorporating a public forum to shape the mindsets and behaviour of the public at large. These collective efforts will not only improve the quality of life for Singaporeans but also contribute to global progress in combating CVD.

16.       With that, I wish everyone an enriching experience, and may you build more networks and take our heart health one step further. Thank you very much.