More residents living in the north of Singapore have been diagnosed with diabetes and/or hypertension, said Minister of State (MOS) for Health Rahayu Mahzam.
Speaking at the Committee of Supply debates in Parliament on Thursday (March 5), she said data collected by the Ministry of Health (MOH) also shows that residents in the north region engage in less physical activity.
An MOH spokesperson said in response to media queries that the prevalence of diabetes in the north is 10.5 per cent, while the national average is 8.8 per cent.
Meanwhile, the prevalence of hypertension in the north is 35.9 per cent as compared to the national average of 33 per cent.
Boosting preventive care
MOS Rahayu said that the ministry is continuing to review reasons for these trends and will be stepping up preventive care efforts in the region, starting in Woodlands.
Since the start of the year, NHG Health has been progressively enhancing 11 Community Health Posts (CHPs) located within Active Ageing Centres across Woodlands.
The CHPs will be open once a week and accept walk-ins, said Rahayu.
Residents can visit CHPs for services such as health advice, chronic disease management and support for caregivers and post-discharge follow-ups for discharged patients.
Two mosques in Woodlands, An Nur Mosque and Yusof Ishak Mosque, will also partner with NHG Health to offer CHP services by September 2026.
