SINGAPORE - SingHealth marked a milestone achievement as Healthier EAST @ SG, its comprehensive multi-agency initiative in Singapore's Eastern region, gained membership to the World Health Organization (WHO)'s Global Network for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities (GNAFCC). This announcement was made at the opening ceremony of the eighth SingHealth Duke-NUS Scientific Congress 2025, where Mr Heng Swee Keat, Chairman, National Research Foundation, as the Guest of Honour, commemorated this accomplishment alongside representatives from over 10 partner organisations and agencies, including the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the People's Association.
Joining an Extensive International Platform Committed to Ageing Care
Healthier EAST @ SG, a comprehensive, multi-agency initiative led by SingHealth, aims to transform Singapore's Eastern region into an inclusive, age-friendly community. Working alongside healthcare providers, community partners and social service agencies, the programme serves 610,000 residents across Bedok, Changi, Marine Parade and Tampines, where nearly 28 per cent of the population is aged 60 and above.
With its induction into GNAFCC, Eastern Singapore now joins more than 1,700 cities and communities across 60 countries, representing over 330 million people worldwide. The Network enables the creation of age-inclusive environments through eight essential domains: housing, transportation, outdoor spaces, community support, health services, social participation, respect and social inclusion, and communication and information. As part of WHO's GNAFCC, Eastern Singapore is committed to proactively identify barriers to healthy ageing and implement targeted solutions across these domains, to ensure seniors remain active and valued contributors in their community.
Through GNAFCC, Healthier EAST @ SG gains access to a network of cities and communities worldwide to learn from and exchange valuable insights that will enable it to evaluate its programmes' progress and success, strengthen accountability and refine strategies to implement innovative and evidence-based solutions. It also will allow Singapore to showcase its successful initiatives to the global community.
Prof Lee Chien Earn, Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer (Regional Health System), SingHealth, said, "Inauguration into the WHO GNAFCC connects us with a global community of cities and regions dedicated to a singular mission of enabling healthy ageing. Through the Healthier EAST @ SG initiative, SingHealth and its partners are excited to contribute towards and be enriched by GNAFCC's global mission. We are excited at the opportunity to trailblaze initiatives that create more inclusive environments locally, and potentially inspire similar practices beyond our shores."
Eastern Singapore's Health Transformation: A Two Decade Journey
For close to two decades, SingHealth has spearheaded efforts to galvanise stakeholders in developing integrated age-friendly initiatives that enhance the well-being of residents in Eastern Singapore.
SingHealth's HealthUP! movement, launched in 2021, has brought about significant improvements in more than 200 pilot participants' health indicators and behaviours. For example, pilot participants who attended SportSG's tailored programmes demonstrated statistically significant improvements in their measured health indicators, such as decreases of 1.4cm to 3.6cm in their average waist circumference over 18 weeks. Furthermore, 73% of those who established at least one health goal attained at least one of their health goals and 78% of those who completed the satisfaction survey reported noticeable improvements in their health and well-being.
The movement has since been expanded to support over 170,000 residents across the entire Eastern Singapore and is testament to the power of close collaboration between healthcare, social and wellness sectors in delivering community-based integrated activities. Under HealthUP!, residents are empowered to reach their preventive health goals through a wide range of activities offered by SingHealth and its community partners across domains such as physical activity, healthy eating, health screening, immunisations and smoking cessation. Supported by SingHealth's Wellbeing Coordinators, HealthUP! enables individuals to take charge of their health with long-term telehealth and digital support, as well as personalised recommendations for types of physical activity, tips on healthy eating and reminders for health screenings and immunisations. Additionally, in tandem with the national Healthier SG campaign, it facilitates the continued conversation between residents and their primary care providers to achieve shared health goals.
Another example is the activation of urban spaces into therapeutic environments to bring people together to promote mental wellness, intergenerational bonding and community connection through nature and art. The Pelatok Art Farm, a partnership between SingHealth, Changi General Hospital, Changi Simei Grassroots Organisations, the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), SAA Architects and National Parks Board (NParks), innovatively transforms physical community spaces into places of well-being for residents. This was the result of a townwide engagement effort involving more than 300 residents through a co-design workshop and online surveys. Residents who participated in the place-making and place-keeping activities reported a greater sense of community, deeper connectedness to nature, and improved emotional well-being. This pioneering approach creates the opportunity for more underutilised sites across the eastern region to be activated and for more residents to benefit from them.
