These numbers are the key reason why preventive care – which focuses more on building health as opposed to treating sickness – will be Singapore’s top priority for the next decade.
It is easy to overlook the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and its prevalence in Singapore is far higher than we think.
Globally, NCDs account for 41 million (or approximately 71%) of annual deaths. A similar trend follows in Singapore, where NCDs remain the leading cause of death – 1 in 4 people aged 30-69 in Singapore have hypertension, and 17 people die from heart disease and stroke every day.
