Lower-income, vulnerable groups the focus of multi-agency health task force

SINGAPORE — The new HealthySG task force will target its health promotion efforts at disadvantaged groups such as the lower-income, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health Amrin Amin on Sunday (Dec 16).

This is because there is “more scope to sharpen the focus” of health promotion efforts at the lower-income, to ensure that such “vulnerable groups” and those with poorer health can be empowered to live healthier lifestyles, Mr Amrin said.

Given that current efforts are targeted at the general population, “this group may be under-reached (and) may not have access to the channels of communication that we use currently, so we’d like to see how we can better tailor the message and programmes” to reach out to them, said Mr Amrin on the sidelines of a Sundays@The Park exercise programme at Choa Chu Kang.

Research has shown a widening “health gap” between the rich and the lower-income group.

According to data from the United Kingdom’s Department of Health and Social Care in 2017, rates of death from cancer, heart attack and stroke were rising among residents of the poorest places in England compared with those in upscale areas. The gap between rich and poor in relation to “healthy life expectancy” – defined as a life free of disease or disability – also widened to almost 20 years.

For a start, the task force will work with community partners such as volunteer welfare organisations to make healthier foods more accessible and available to lower-income families.

This includes encouraging donors to fund or prepare food donation packs with healthier products, as well as guiding families to choose healthier ingredients when purchasing groceries and preparing meals at home.

The task force, led by Mr Amrin, was first announced by Health Minister Gan Kim Yong in November, at an event to mark World Diabetes Day.

The multi-agency task force comprising members from the Ministry of National Development and the Ministry of Social and Family Development, among others, was set up to build on ongoing nationwide efforts against diabetes.

Besides targeting the lower-income group, the task force will also leverage technology to encourage individuals to make healthier choices.

For example, it will look into new tech solutions that could provide timely information and reminders to individuals to make the healthy choice.

While it is still “early” to decide on what type of technology or product might be used, Mr Amrin said that the task force will study and get feedback on “practical” and “relevant” products, while keeping in mind that any product or programme initiated should be “financially sustainable” at the same time.

To that end, the task force will be holding public consultations from January to May next year to seek ideas on how to encourage Singaporeans to adopt healthy lifestyles.

Besides Mr Amrin, other members of the task force are Senior Parliamentary Secretaries Baey Yam Keng, Low Yen Ling, Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim and Sun Xueling. The team met last month to decide on the two broad priorities outlined by Mr Amrin on Sunday.