Speech by Minister of State, Dr Amy Khor at HPB’s Health Ambassador Day at Suntec Ballroom, 10 February 2012

I am delighted to join all of you here this evening for the inaugural Health Ambassador Day. My congratulations to all graduating Health Ambassadors. I am sure all of you are proud to be a part of this milestone event. At the same time, I am honoured to be given the title of Chief Health Ambassador.

2    I believe that a healthy mind and a healthy body give me the capacity to live each day more fully as I carry out my responsibilities at work and commitments at home. Despite the several portfolios that I hold, I always make it a point to go for a morning run before starting the day. 

3    As runners will tell you, it is highly therapeutic, and refreshing. As some of you might know, I enjoy food and I do eat rather fast. Aside from an occasional indulgence, I always choose to eat healthily for every meal, including going home for dinner with my family every evening – as home-cooked food tends to be healthier – before heading out again for my grassroots work. On weekends, I make it a point to prepare healthy meals (from recipes courtesy of HPB) to ensure that my family gets the nutrition they need.

4    My personal conviction towards the importance of good health has been reinforced by real circumstances that I know many people are facing.

5    Since 2001 when I became a Member of Parliament, then Mayor in 2004 and more recently, Minister of State for Health, I have had numerous opportunities to interact with residents and I have received a lot of feedback on concerns over healthcare costs, managing chronic conditions and the financial and emotional burden of caring for an elderly person in the family.

6    These issues afflict many residents and have spurred me as Minister of State for Health, to champion policies and initiatives that can better help the community take charge of their health. Government policies can go only so far in ensuring the health of the population.  Individuals must take personal responsibility to safeguard their own wellbeing. 

7    It is also conceivable that individuals through their personal example and influence, help to create conditions where the community as a whole can be uplifted in their quest for better health.

8    It is with this in view that we have the health ambassadors program.   Health Ambassadors set an example to their family, friends, colleagues and neighbours to engage in healthy behaviour, share health information and personal experience, as well as mentor their social contacts in adopting healthy lifestyle habits.

9    Beyond this, health ambassadors help to bring a suite of MOH and HPB programmes and resources to their local community. Examples include conducting regular, simple health checks for the residents and promoting the Community Health Assist Scheme and the Mobility Fund to needy Singaporeans.

10    As the Chief Health Ambassador, I will continue to promote healthy living at every opportunity and to every person I meet.

11    Going beyond health policies, I seek to address family and social support matters as well as enhancing existing programmes to encourage every Singaporean to lead a healthy lifestyle.

12    As the Health Promotion Board reaches out to Singaporeans through various programmes and events – be it on physical activity, nutrition, mental wellbeing, health screening or staying smoke-free -- I would like to urge every Health Ambassador to continue to spread the health message and make every effort to mentor them on taking small steps towards healthy living –  and be a  role model for them.

13    Through every Health Ambassador’s commitment and efforts, I believe we will be able to create a healthy living social movement in Singapore – together with the supportive environment brought about through the health-promoting ecosystems that Health Promotion Board is establishing  throughout the island.

14    The healthy living social movement can transform the health and well-being of Singapore if Health Ambassadors can successfully lead and inspire individuals to take charge of their own health and engage in healthy behaviour. Besides empowering individuals, this healthy living social movement will help to make health more pervasive in our community through fostering collaboration and cooperation.

15    There are several characteristics of a successful social movement. I would like to highlight two of them. Firstly, a strong social movement has effective ways of constantly recruiting people who have the same beliefs – in our case, people who practise healthy living and are passionate about sharing it with others.

16    And the most effective outreach for the healthy living social movement is Health Ambassadors themselves -- recruiting more Health Ambassadors through their existing social networks.  To use a term we learn from our brush with SARS in 2003, we want our Health Ambassadors to be super spreaders, infecting in a good sense many others to become heatlh ambassadors themselves.

17    Secondly, such social movement will have a core group of leaders and local activists who effectively organise, educate and communicate with the members of the movement.

18    Later on, all of us here will be reciting the Health Ambassador Pledge. The Pledge signifies our commitment to stay as a role model for our family members, friends, colleagues and neighbours, as well as to lead and inspire our social contacts and local community on healthy living.

19    It is a significant responsibility that all of us will be championing, but I would like to assure you that it will be an exciting and rewarding journey as we seek to create meaningful change in our local communities and in our nation – to combat sedentary lifestyle and chronic conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.

20    Let us keep the motto close to our hearts: Staying Healthy, Inspiring Others! Thank you and I wish all of you an enjoyable evening.