Singapore officially launches new Communicable Diseases Agency for pandemic preparedness

SINGAPORE: A new agency to prevent, manage and control infectious diseases in Singapore was officially launched by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday (Nov 12). 

The Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA), a statutory board under the Ministry of Health (MOH), consolidates some public health functions previously housed across MOH, the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) and the Health Promotion Board (HPB).

At the launch event held at the National University of Singapore’s University Cultural Centre, Mr Wong said the CDA will have several key tasks ahead, including deepening international cooperation.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world saw “unprecedented collaboration”. For example, there were platforms like the World Health Organization's Pandemic Hub to strengthen global preparedness and response. 

However, this momentum has slowed, he said.

“Memories of COVID-19 are fading, and support for multilateralism, more generally, in today's fractured and contested world, is weakening. Support for multilateralism in global health is also fragmenting,” he said, warning that this would leave the world less prepared for the next pandemic.

To strengthen Singapore’s readiness, CDA will take the lead in refreshing and updating the country’s national pandemic plans.

“Pandemic preparedness is like taking out an insurance policy against future crises. But insurance comes at a cost,” he said.

He stressed that the agency must find a "careful balance” between preparedness and sustainability of resources by staying alert to emerging risks and being ready to ramp up buffers and defences when threats rise.

Another key task is building and sustaining public trust.

“This is the single most important ingredient in any pandemic response. Without it, the best laid plans, the most advanced technology, even the best vaccines, will not be effective,” he said.

Beyond pandemics, the CDA will also strengthen Singapore’s resilience against endemic diseases, he added. 

COLLABORATIVE APPROACH

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung first announced the setting up of the CDA in March 2023, during the COVID-19 White Paper debate. In March this year, Director-General of Health Kenneth Mak was appointed as its chairman.

The agency has been operational since Apr 1 and has already rolled out several initiatives. 

These include the Singapore Pandemic Preparedness and Response Framework in July and updates to the National Adult Immunisation Schedule in September to include vaccines against shingles and pneumococcal diseases.

CDA is updating the national surveillance strategy to strengthen early detection, enhance collaboration, and leverage new technologies, such as genomic and wastewater surveillance.

This will better help it anticipate and respond to disease threats.

Additionally, the agency said it would enhance its laboratory capabilities by using cutting-edge diagnostic technologies, advancing whole genome sequencing and strengthening data integration systems. 

CDA chief executive officer Professor Vernon Lee said the agency cannot work alone as infectious diseases affect many other sectors.

As part of a new health master plan called One Health, CDA will partner with the National Environment Agency, National Parks Board, Singapore Food Agency and PUB, he said.

“Our collaborative approach also has to include all-of-society stakeholders as they are crucial in developing solutions, and implementing them in our community,” he said, adding that these include private organisations, academic institutions and civil society.

Beyond Singapore, CDA has also signed memorandums of understanding with counterparts in China, Germany, Hong Kong, South Korea and the United Kingdom to collaborate in areas such as surveillance, preparedness and capacity building, he said.

Mr Pream Raj, acting director of the Contact and Environment Diseases, Border and Travel Health Division at CDA, said Singapore's status as a global travel hub means there is a risk of disease importation and spread.

“So we always need to be nimble enough to respond accordingly, depending on the risk assessments that we have.”