The Prevalence of Food Allergies in Children and Strategies to increase Public Awareness

NOTICE PAPER NO. 3137

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIMENT ON OR AFTER 15 OCTOBER 2024 

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms He Ting Ru 

MP for Sengkang GRC

Question No. 6724 

To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry tracks the rates of food allergies in children; (b) if so, what is the current percentage of children who are estimated to have food allergies; (c) what are the trends observed over the last ten years; and (d) whether the Ministry is undertaking any studies to determine what is causing it.

NOTICE PAPER NO. 3144

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIMENT ON OR AFTER 15 OCTOBER 2024 

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms He Ting Ru 

MP for Sengkang GRC

Question No. 6739

To ask the Minister for Health how the Ministry is working with other agencies such as schools and those in the food preparation industry to increase public awareness of the potentially lethal nature of severe food allergy reactions.

Answer

1     Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to answer PQ 11 & 12 on today’s Order Paper? 

2     A study published by Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) in 2017 showed that the overall prevalence of childhood food allergy in Singapore was low, between 1-3% in children aged 18 months to 4 years in age. This is generally lower than the prevalence reported in other jurisdictions. The National University Hospital (NUH) and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) plan to carry out another study to determine the current prevalence of food allergies in children.

3      There are also a number of interagency efforts in place to increase awareness on how to better prevent and manage food allergies. For the food industry, KKH is working with the Singapore Food Agency to raise awareness among food handlers on food allergen risks by enhancing the content covered in the Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) Food Safety Course. In schools, our public healthcare institutions have been working with the Ministry of Education and Early Childhood Development Agency to train primary and preschool teachers on the emergency treatment of children with severe allergic reactions. 

4      To better educate the public on food allergies and preventive measures, KKH and the Health Promotion Board are developing more resources on managing and living with food allergies to complement existing materials available on Parent Hub. NUH has also been educating and supporting patients and caregivers on food allergies, in partnership with polyclinics, patient support groups and non-profit organisations.