The human race is at the cusp of a demographic transition, experiencing rapidly ageing populations coupled with declining birth rates all around the world. To successfully mitigate this and build a critical support framework, the United States of America’s National Academy of Medicine (NAM) is spearheading an international, independent and multidisciplinary initiative to develop a Global Roadmap for Healthy Longevity that will identify – through evidence-based recommendations – the necessary priorities and directions for improving health, productivity and quality of life worldwide.

Singapore is privileged to be chosen as the site for the two-day Health Care Systems & Public Health: A Workshop for the Global Roadmap for Healthy Longevity Initiative, organised by NAM from 3 to 4 February 2020, in partnership with the MOH Office for Healthcare Transformation (MOHT), the National University Health System (NUHS), the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the National Research Foundation Singapore (NRF).

More than 200 delegates comprising an International Commission appointed by NAM, leading global thought leaders, as well as decision-makers from academia, healthcare organisations, industry players, government, media and civic societies that have active roles in shaping approaches towards global ageing and healthy longevity will convene in Singapore for the workshop.  

From the workshop discussions, the International Commission will put forward actionable recommendations to spur innovation, and guide other policymakers, governmental and nongovernmental organisations, the private sector, and stakeholders globally.  Proceedings of the presentations and discussions at the workshop are expected to be published in late 2020.  

International Commission on Healthy Longevity

As part of the Global Roadmap for Healthy Longevity, NAM has convened an International Commission to assess the challenges presented by global ageing, and demonstrate how these challenges can be translated into opportunities for global societies to prolong healthy living and quality of life.  The Commission will assess the evidence across three domains:

• Social, Behavioural, and Environmental Enablers
• Health Care Systems and Public Health
• Science and Technology

Singapore’s workshop on Health Care Systems and Public Health will discuss the challenges and opportunities, as well as potential solutions that would enhance the design of health and long-term care systems, including clinical services, health promotion, disease prevention services, and social care to foster the capacity and ability of ageing societies around the world. 

In collaboration with NAM, Singapore is also one of the global collaborators of the Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awards launched here in January 2020. This is a global initiative aimed at catalysing transformative ideas and innovation to improve and advance healthy ageing and longevity around the world.  Supported by NRF and the Ministry of Health (MOH), Singapore will be sponsoring 45 Catalyst Awards across three years from 2020 to 2022. The Catalyst Awards aim to reach out to local innovators and researchers from all disciplines, as well as private enterprises, thereby catalysing research and innovation in the broader ecosystem. The collaboration also provides greater exposure to the international ageing research landscape, allowing Singapore to plug into global networks in ageing research and translation.