SPEECH BY MDM RAHAYU MAHZAM, MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT AND INFORMATION & MINISTRY OF HEALTH, AT THE SINGAPORE HIV, HEPATITIS AND SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS CONGRESS 2026, 23 MAY 2026

Adjunct Assistant Professor Wong Chen Seong, Chair, Organising Committee

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

1.       Good morning. It gives me great pleasure to join you at the Singapore HIV, Hepatitis & Sexually Transmitted Infections Congress 2026. This year, the Congress has expanded its scope to adopt a more holistic approach to HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) prevention and care under the theme "Charting the Path Forward: New Beginnings Through Collaboration".

2.             As we embark on this new chapter, we must remember that progress is not achieved by policy or research alone. It happens when knowledge is shared openly, when communities are engaged meaningfully, and when every partner — whether from government, healthcare, research, or the community — commits to walking this path together.

3.             This Congress is our platform to do just that. It brings clinicians, public health practitioners, researchers and community partners together to exchange knowledge, present new evidence, and translate research into practice. I encourage you to share what works and explore how we can expand those approaches responsibly and inclusively.

Expanding Our Scope: Tackling Hepatitis Together

4.             Building on this spirit of collaboration, let me share an example on our collective work on Hepatitis C. We recognise that Hepatitis C is a public health challenge that demands the same comprehensive strategies we apply to HIV. With more affordable and effective direct acting anti-viral drugs available, we can make substantial progress toward reducing the burden of Hepatitis C through coordinated efforts.

5.             To achieve this, the Communicable Diseases Agency has convened a national Hepatitis C steering committee, bringing representatives from ministries and agencies together with specialists in gastroenterology and hepatology from both the public and private sectors. Through engagements with various stakeholders, this multi-sectoral team will work to identify key risk populations, improve public health measures, and shape evidence-based strategies for the future.

6.             The work of this committee exemplifies how we can come together to tackle complex health challenges. By integrating diverse expertise, we strengthen our collective capacity to translate research into practice and deliver better outcomes for our communities.

Singapore’s HIV Progress and 95-95-95 Targets

7.             For HIV, we continue to build upon our established response. Over the past decade, Singapore has made steady progress in strengthening our HIV response and maintaining a relatively stable prevalence. In 2025, 166 new HIV cases were reported among Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, compared to 151 in the previous year. We used to see more than 200 cases prior to 2024, and cases fluctuate from year to year. While we still fall below 200 cases, this represents a year-on-year increase. This shows that we cannot rest on our laurels. Our healthcare system has remained effective in identifying new cases through routine medical care and targeted screening programmes. Yet, more than half of new diagnoses — about 55.4% — were late‑stage infections, reminding us of the need to encourage earlier testing.

8.             We continue to use the “95-95-95” framework by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to guide our work. I am happy to note that we have reached close to 90% of people living with HIV knowing their diagnosis, around 96% of those diagnosed are receiving treatment, and almost 94% of those on treatment have achieved viral suppression. While we have successfully met the second target and are close to achieving the first and third targets, gaps remain. These include reducing delayed diagnosis, improving linkage to care for those who test positive, and ensuring that patients are able to access HIV treatment without financial barriers.

Enhancing Support for HIV Care

9.             To sustain progress on the second UNAIDS target and advance towards the third target, we will improve patient affordability for HIV drugs. The Ministry of Health will increase the MediSave withdrawal limit for HIV drugs from $550 to $850 monthly from 1 June 2026. This will make it easier for patients to manage the lifelong, recurrent expenditures associated with regular antiretroviral therapy regimens; and consequently, make HIV treatments more accessible. Together with other financial assistance schemes, such as the Medication Assistance Fund and MediFund, this will help reduce financial barriers for patients with HIV.

10.          More importantly, removing financial barriers at the point of diagnosis means patients can start treatment immediately. This encourages early engagement with clinical services and reduces the likelihood that individuals will fall through the cracks between testing and care.

11.          Recognising the role of families in care provision, patients will also be able to tap on their family members’ MediSave accounts to pay for such treatments. This allows their loved ones to step in to support HIV patients effectively. When families step in, we strengthen not just individual care, but community health as a whole. Together, we can ensure every citizen living with HIV receives the support and treatment they need.

Innovation and Digital Health

12.          Beyond financial support, we must innovate to deliver and integrate healthcare services. We continue to leverage Singapore’s digital health capabilities to strengthen care delivery. Teleconsultation services now enable patients to access medical advice and follow-up from the privacy of their homes, reducing missed visits and improving continuity of care. HealthHub-linked appointment scheduling and medication-reminder features further help patients stay engaged with treatment and avoid lapses such as missed appointments or medication interruptions. When considering new innovations, our evaluation is straightforward: will this lead to improved outcomes, reduce barriers to care, or enhance service efficiency when implemented at scale?

Community Engagement and Partnership

13.          These innovations must complement efforts to address the human and social barriers that prevent individuals from testing and remaining in care. Stigma and misinformation continue to discourage people, delay diagnosis, and undermine retention. From workplace discrimination to concerns about confidentiality, we must address the social and structural factors that influence health-seeking behaviour, to ensure that vulnerable groups and key at-risk populations are not overlooked. Through initiatives like the Community Engagement Forum, we have seen how bringing together expert knowledge and community voices can foster better understanding and reduce stigma.

14.          We have also worked with our community partners to introduce HIV self-testing. Since January 2025, HIV self-testing kits are available at more than 100 sites nationwide, including selected retail pharmacies and community partners. With strong and consistent demand, averaging over 800 kits sold monthly, this has broadened HIV testing options beyond traditional clinical settings, making it easier for individuals to learn their status privately and conveniently, while complementing existing clinic-based services.

Closing

15.          Today, I have shared how we are strengthening our response through enhanced financial support, digital innovation, and community engagement. Lasting change, however, requires coordinated action among government agencies, employers, healthcare providers and community partners. Only by working together can we make testing and treatment routine, accessible and free from stigma.

16.          Most importantly, people living with HIV, Hepatitis, and STIs — and their communities — are essential partners in designing programmes that truly work. Their lived experiences make services more relevant, while community organisations can best reach those who are hardest to engage. We must continue to strengthen these partnerships to ensure that our services remain effective and responsive.

17.          I am confident that the collaborations fostered here today will drive meaningful progress in our shared mission of improving prevention and care for people living with HIV, Hepatitis and STIs. Before I close, I would like to thank the Communicable Diseases Agency for organising this important Congress and bringing us all together. I wish all of you a productive and inspiring day ahead. Thank you.