From colony to city state: changes in health needs in Singapore from 1950 to 1990

The disease patterns and health needs of Singaporeans have altered dramatically over the last half-century as a result of both economic progress and socio-demographic change. This is reflected by improvements in the universal indices of health status such as the infant mortality rate and life expectancy at birth. At the same time, chronic degenerative diseases such as cancer and heart disease have replaced infectious diseases as the major causes of death, as is the pattern in industrialized countries throughout the world. The challenge for public health in Singapore today is to find cost-effective means to control these diseases, and in this regard, the country has embarked on a strategy of disease prevention and health promotion for the next decade, aimed at reducing the levels of major lifestyle-related risk factors by providing a supportive environment for behavioural change.