SPEECH BY MR ONG YE KUNG, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND COORDINATING MINISTER FOR SOCIAL POLICIES, AT PRECISION HEALTH PARTNERSHIPS IN SINGAPORE, 1 OCTOBER 2026

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

1.       Singaporeans are living longer. Our life expectancy is among the highest in the world. This is worth celebrating. Indeed, longevity is an important measure of a healthcare system’s success.

The Healthspan-Lifespan Gap

2.       But as people live longer and non-communicable diseases and multiple chronic conditions become more common, lifespan tells only part of the healthcare story. Increasingly, the more important question is: are those additional years good years?

3.       Healthcare authorities and researchers are therefore increasingly paying more attention to the healthspan-lifespan gap – the difference between how long we live and how long we live in good health. Globally, this gap is now around a decade. In other words, while people are living longer, they are spending roughly their final decade in ill health.

4.       A recent study published in Communications Medicine offers useful insights. It examined the healthspan-lifespan gap across 183 countries and found that the gap is associated with how long people live, a country’s Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, and its burden of chronic, non-communicable disease.

5.       The researchers used these factors to estimate the gap that each country might be expected to have. Singapore did better than the model predicted, with a narrower gap than expected. In fact, we were the second best-performing country in the study.

6.       We must have done some things right, although the study itself cannot tell us exactly what they were. One possible reason is that we detect chronic diseases relatively early and help patients manage them well, preventing or delaying complications. Another possible reason is our broad system of social prescribing, which encourages active lifestyles and stronger social connections in every community, helping to stave off disease complications.

7.       If these are indeed the reasons, they are encouraging. More importantly, they reinforce the value of population health, which will be the foundation of our healthcare policies in the years ahead.

Preventive, Predictive, Personalised Care

8.       Population health as a discipline is evolving rapidly. This change is driven by the need to support an ageing population, propelled by advances in medical science, and shaped by national policy. I foresee population health evolving in three ways, as follows:

9.       First, the promotion of healthier lifestyles will gather pace. People are becoming more aware of how to live healthily, with strong Government support. One example is Singapore’s Nutri-Grade labelling requirements for pre-packaged beverages and drinks listed on menus. It has encouraged suppliers to reformulate their products and helped to reduce average sugar intake over the years. We are extending this approach to sodium and saturated fat.

10.      Under Healthier SG, close to 60% of eligible residents aged 40 and above have enrolled with a regular family doctor and are following up for preventive care. Many others are already receiving specialist care for chronic conditions.

11.      Through our network of Active Ageing Centres, or AACs, we encourage seniors to remain active and socially connected. Over time, AACs can also serve as community platforms for basic health screening, medication advice and physiotherapy. In addition, community partners are bringing fitness programmes and activities closer to residents, giving them access, choice and agency.

12.      Taken together, these efforts define the first key feature of population health: it is preventive.

13.      Second, we can harness technology to intervene further upstream. This is where Artificial Intelligence, or AI, can make a significant difference. AI can help us make sense of vast amounts of information, identify patterns and anticipate risks.

14.      Next year, we will roll out the Assisted Chronic Disease Explanation using AI, or ACE-AI, under Healthier SG, across polyclinics and private general practitioner (GP) clinics. By reviewing patients’ medical histories, ACE-AI will help primary care providers identify individuals at higher risk of developing diabetes and high cholesterol, so that they can be screened more frequently than the general population.

15.      This is only the beginning. As our capabilities mature, we expect to cover a broader range of diseases and assess risks more accurately, allowing more patients to receive timely preventive care and avoid future suffering.

16.     This builds up the second key feature of population health: it is predictive.

17.      Third, population health should harness the potential of genomics. This is perhaps the most complex aspect of population health, but it is also the most exciting. 

18.      Our genome is the blueprint of the human body and is unique to each of us. While a medical check-up can tell us about the health conditions that we have today, genomic information can help indicate which diseases we may be predisposed to, and which interventions may work better for us.

19.      Singapore is building a valuable genomic resource through our National Precision Medicine Programme. Under Phase II, we completed whole-genome sequencing for more than 100,000 Singapore residents. Under Phase III, we aim to recruit a further 450,000 participants over the coming years.

20.      But success is not measured by the volume of genomic data we collect. Its real value lies in how we use it to improve care and health outcomes for Singaporeans. At the same time, genomic information must be used sensitively and judiciously, because it raises important ethical, social and economic questions.

21.      We are therefore proceeding on two parallel tracks. On one, genomic research is advancing through the analysis of de-identified and anonymised data collected so far. On the other, we are taking a step-by-step, use-case-driven approach to apply genomics in clinical care.

22.      Our first use case was familial hypercholesterolaemia, or FH. We identify higher-risk individuals and their immediate family members for genetic testing. Those found to carry an FH-associated mutation can receive preventive care to avert or delay serious disease, through a subsidised national healthcare programme. From December this year, we will introduce a second use case for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. More use cases are expected to follow.

23.      The biggest change will occur where these two tracks converge: when research uncovers genetic characteristics linked to serious and common conditions, such as kidney failure or common cancers, and those discoveries can be translated into preventive clinical care.

24.      For this to happen, we will need sound data governance. Today, genomic data used for research is de-identified and anonymised. But when research reveals a clinically useful finding, there must be a trusted pathway – with the participant’s consent and appropriate safeguards – to identify and contact the right person for follow-up care. Good governance should not only protect data; it should also allow responsibly generated knowledge to benefit the people who contributed to it.

25.      We will also need further social safeguards. We have consulted the public on proposed legislation, which will set out the rules on the use of genetic information in non-clinical settings, starting with insurance and employment. The aim is to ensure that Singaporeans can benefit from genetic testing and preventive medicine without fear that their genetic predispositions may be used to disadvantage them.

26.      As our genomics efforts progress, we can realise the third defining feature of population health: it is personalised.

Building the Next Phase

27.      What I have outlined is the next phase of population health: to be preventive, predictive and personalised. It has the potential to transform healthcare and narrow the gap between healthspan and lifespan. But technology alone will not deliver this future. It will require the mobilisation of the entire healthcare ecosystem – primary and community care providers, public healthcare institutions, researchers and private sector partners – working together to develop care models, define clinical protocols, connect the dots and reach out to residents.

28.      The two Memoranda of Understanding, or MoUs, with AWS and Temus support this direction. Precision Health Research, Singapore’s (PRECISE’s) partnership with AWS will help develop secure, scalable, cloud-native genomic infrastructure for precision medicine at population scale. Its partnership with Temus will combine genomic expertise with AI, data and engineering capabilities, helping to translate genomic discoveries into useful research and clinical applications.

29.      I thank AWS and Temus for your confidence in Singapore’s healthcare system and for supporting the direction in which we are heading. If we build the right capabilities, policies and safeguards, we can move beyond simply adding years to life, towards adding more healthy life to our years. Thank you.