Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, at the Raffles Dialogue 2018 Plenary Session 1: Singapore's Role in Global Health and Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, 27 November 2018

Your Excellencies

Distinguished Speakers

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good evening to you all.

1.          I am delighted to join everyone this evening at the 3rd Raffles Dialogue to discuss key issues that can affect human well-being and security.

Our Approach to the Sustainable Development Goals

2.          Singapore is a small country with limited land and no natural resources. The idea of sustainable development is all the more relevant and important to us. We therefore strongly support the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as the global efforts to implement and achieve these SDGs.

3.          For Singapore, the 2030 Agenda serves as a framework to benchmark our policies and the 17 SDGs are integrated into Singapore’s long-term plans. Recently, Singapore undertook its first Voluntary National Review (VNR) on Sustainable Development. The VNR was an opportunity for us to take stock of our progress, reflect on future challenges, and identify opportunities to do better. An important takeaway from the Review has been that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to achieving the SDGs. Countries should pursue the SDGs in the manner they choose, taking into account their different challenges, national priorities and circumstances.

Our Performance in Achieving the SDGs

4.          Overall, our approach of integrating elements of sustainability directly into our policy process has worked well for us.

5.          In the latest Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study published in the Lancet this month, Singapore was ranked first for the highest Healthy Life Expectancy (HALE) at birth in 2017 among the 195 countries studied. Singapore was also ranked first in achieving the 40 health-related SDG indicators tracked in the study.

6.          However, significant challenges remain, and we cannot afford to sit on our laurels. Our rapidly ageing population means an increasing burden of chronic illnesses such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.. Anticipating these challenges, Singapore has put in place several national plans to prepare for the future, in face of this rising ageing population.

7.          In 2015, we launched the Action Plan for Successful Ageing. This Action Plan was developed following a year-long series of consultations involving over 4,000 Singaporeans from all walks of life. It aims to build “A Nation for All Ages” with more than 70 initiatives in 12 areas such as health and wellness, housing, employment and transport. The goal is to help seniors live more fulfilling and healthy lives even as they age.

8.          Another example is Singapore’s War on Diabetes launched in 2016. In Singapore, diabetes is a serious condition, with approximately 450,000 Singaporeans living with this disease. The objective of the war is to rally a whole-of-nation effort to reduce the burden of diabetes.  The strategic thrusts in this war encompass healthy living, early detection and intervention, and better disease management. These are in turn underpinned by public education and stakeholder engagement, data and analytics, and technology and research.

9.          We are also keen to learn from the experiences of other countries. The Singapore Ministerial Conference on Diabetes, which just ended earlier this afternoon, provided a good opportunity for the global community to share best practices in tackling the diabetes epidemic. The conference was attended by more than 300 delegates comprising Health Ministers, policymakers, stakeholders, academics, and representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank.

Our Role in Global Health and Contribution to the SDGs

10.          We too hope to share what we know with others. Our small size makes us nimble and effective in implementing our policies and programmes. Our resource constraints push us to drive hard to optimise our efforts. We also serve as an interesting site for experimentation and innovation.

11.          Singapore sees great value in forging stronger links with the international community. We work closely with international organisations such as the WHO and ASEAN, and we actively participate in other fora like the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and G20. We greatly value these engagements as they allow us to contribute to the international health agenda as an objective and constructive global player, and to help develop solutions to emerging health issues. We have learned from some of the world’s best practices and adapted them to our own context. In turn, we have also contributed to international health capability by sharing our own experiences and expertise, as well as by providing technical assistance and training to other countries.

Conclusion

12.          In closing, we are pleased to have made good progress in our sustainable development journey. But we must press on to achieve the SDG goals. To maintain the momentum of this journey, it is important that we continue to be forward-looking and innovative in our approaches, even as we celebrate our progress and achievements.

13.          We must all remember that we are not alone on the journey towards sustainable development, there is much to learn from each other’s experiences. With that, I look forward to hearing from my fellow panellists and their views on this topic.

Thank you.