Message by Her Excellency Kara Owen CMG CVO
British High Commissioner to Singapore
I am delighted to welcome you to the UK’s first Healthy Ageing Virtual Mission to Singapore.
Colleagues from the British Government in the UK and in Singapore are pleased to support the visit of UK organisations who are harnessing the power of innovation to address the needs of an ageing society. The UK government’s mission is to ensure that people can enjoy at least five additional, healthy and independent years of life by 2035, while narrowing the gap between the experience of the richest and poorest. The UK government’s Industrial Strategy sets out the Ageing Society Grand Challenge, aiming to put the UK at the forefront of the future industries in this area.
The UK has developed a diverse range of solutions to improve the lives of the elderly. It continues to spearhead innovative design, equipment, technology and training solutions in monitoring, early detection, care provision and enabling independence and mobility through strong collaborations across the National Health Service (NHS) and its world class expertise, including in academia and industry.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that the world’s population aged over 60 will almost double from 12% to 22% between now and 2050. Singapore is on a similar trajectory as one of the fastest ageing populations in Asia. As Singapore ramps up the long-term care infrastructure through acute and community hospitals, nursing homes, home and day care facilities, it is also exploring innovative solutions for healthy longevity. We hope that this series of events will allow the UK and Singapore to share common challenges and introduce new solutions to achieve better outcomes for patients.
Thank you for joining our virtual mission. We look forward to collaboration, innovation, and new partnerships in Singapore.
Harjinder Kang - Director Healthcare, Life Sciences & Bio Economy, Department for International Trade
On behalf of the UK Department For International Trade (DIT) I am delighted to welcome you to the UK-Singapore Healthy Ageing Virtual Mission. This series of events will focus on innovations around building a better Ageing Society. These include a range of diverse themes including wellness, remote monitoring, diagnostics, education & training, interactive games, workforce and patient safety.
I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for participating. I would also like to thank our speakers including Adrian Hayter, National Clinical Director for Older People and Integrated Person Centred Care, NHS England; Charlene Chang, Group Director, Ageing Planning Office, Ministry of Health Singapore; Andy Seet, Director, Sector and Partnerships, Agency for Integrated Care; Professor Nic Palmarini, Director, National Innovation Centre for Ageing, UK and; Andy Briggs, Business Champion for the Ageing Society Grand Challenge, UK.
We also have some excellent UK companies participating in this event which will play an important role in further strengthening the links between the UK and Singapore. I very much hope that partnerships initiated this week can grow into important collaborations which can be mutually profitable and offer significant benefits to the health sector in both countries, and around the world.
Thalia Georgiou - Chair, Healthcare and Life Sciences Committee, British Chamber of Commerce
Healthcare Advisory - Asia Pacific, Asia Care Group
Ageing is a collective human experience; one we all experience and one which, for many reasons, we often approach with some sense of trepidation. Many fear the loss of autonomy, the limitations that may come from decreased mobility, the economic woes of no longer being able to earn, and, perhaps of greatest concern–the potential move to an institution and away from all that is familiar and normal. These concerns are valid. But ageing is predictable. We have more clarity now on how the structure of our populations will change, and with it the economic, social and health needs, than we do of almost any other area of policy. This will enable Asia to explore solutions to address any gaps in financial protection, eliminate avoidable risks and enable safe and active ageing for older people. The UK delegation brings innovative ideas and solutions to contribute to the efforts in Singapore and Asia to deal with ageing, and will doubtless find many avenues for cooperation and market expansion. I look forward to welcoming this year’s delegation, and wish you every success in exploring the Asian markets.
The Health and Life Sciences committee has a broad membership base from across the sector – from health insurers to providers and Medtech. Members come from both MNCs and SMEs, and have a common interest in collaborating in an effort to create vibrant health and care systems. We aim to enhance market access and opportunities for British firms through networking, events, advocacy and knowledge sharing, and work with partner chambers in the region to support commercialisation efforts across Asia-Pacific.
