Healthy Boon Lay Initiative Provides Residents With The Resources And Environment To Keep Fit And Live Well

A suite of new programmes available in Boon Lay will nudge residents towards the awareness and adoption of healthier lifestyles, bolstered by a health-promoting and caring environment

1 June 2024 –Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development & Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration and Adviser to West Coast GRC Grassroots Organisations (GROs), joined 500 residents and partners today to kick off Boon Lay’s Health and Wellness Month in June, celebrating and promoting a series of health-focused activities that encourage Boon Lay residents to adopt a healthier way of life.

2. The Healthy Boon Lay initiative seeks to create an environment and culture that supports residents to achieve and sustain healthy lifestyles. It is a partnership of MOH Office for Healthcare Transformation (MOHT), Boon Lay Grassroots Organisations (GROs) and National University Health System (NUHS), supported by Boon Lay community collaborators.

3. A Community Behavioural Needs Assessment Study conducted by MOHT and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) involving 220 stakeholders in 20221 found that Boon Lay residents desire more amenities for physical activities such as cycling, innovative design of everyday spaces to overcome the psychological inertia towards exercising, more healthy food choices that are affordable at hawker centres, and greater access to leisure activities.

4. Said Prof Chong Keng Hua, Associate Professor, Architecture and Sustainable Design, SUTD: “From the study, it shows that Boon Lay residents are open to activities that will facilitate physical and mental wellbeing, as long as these amenities and structures are readily available and accessible, as well as easily assimilated into their everyday lives.”

5. These insights were shared with key service providers in Boon Lay, who conceived and co-created a plan for a health-promoting environment where eating well and regular exercise is achievable – by default – as well as ground-up movements to drive sustainable behavioural change in the pursuit of healthy living. This was made possible through several focus group discussions, value stream mapping exercises and a co-visioning workshop2.

6. Offerings within Boon Lay aim to drive healthy eating, encourage physical activity and motivate collective action, and will complement the efforts of the national Healthier SG initiative to enable Singaporeans to take proactive steps to manage their health, prevent the onset of chronic diseases and have strong support to lead healthier lifestyles. Community interest groups started within Boon Lay by passionate residents also support the goals of Age Well SG, which empowers seniors to age actively, stay socially connected, and be cared for within their communities. 

Movements for Health: Activating residents as ambassadors for healthy living

7. To create an environment to raise awareness, galvanise residents to take action and advocate for healthy behaviours, MOHT – in partnership with Tote Board and supported by The Majurity Trust – has co-developed Movements for Health (M4H) as a nationwide initiative with Boon Lay as the first implementation site. M4H is a ground-up initiative that leverages existing social networks in the neighbourhood to embed health messaging into their activities and programmes, and nudge residents towards healthy living. Interest groups under M4H will be granted access to skills, resources and opportunities to share their best practices and translate their innovative ideas into solutions in the community.

8. The driving force behind M4H are the Community Movement Champions (CMCs). CMCs are community organisations with the potential and resources to initiate and sustain large-scale ground-up health movements within their communities.

9. One of these CMCs in Boon Lay is the “Better Eat Better” project by 3Pumpkins, where volunteers guide children on healthy eating through fun cooking lessons using healthy and nutritious ingredients which they harvest from their community garden.

10. Ms Lin Shiyun, founder and executive director of 3Pumpkins, said: “Learning to make healthier choices is easier when it is done together with friends. Through the 3Pumpkins’ “Better Eat Better” project, children learn alongside a fun and supportive community to grow food together, shop together, cook together, and eat together. These shared experiences create meaningful connections and leave long-lasting impressions on children, shaping habits for healthy living.”

11. VintageRadio.SG is another CMC started by a group of active agers. Its focus is educating seniors on health matters such as sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass), through an online radio channel that engages fellow seniors on matters close to their hearts.

12. Said Mr Aloysius Tan, founder of VintageRadio.SG: “By tuning in to us, seniors get access to practical advice such as tips on physical exercise and nutrition that can enhance their wellbeing and quality of life. Our radio channel aims to empower seniors by offering support, encouragement and the all-round information they need to age well. On top of that, the music and DJs help to alleviate the feeling of isolation, as well as delay the onset of dementia.”

13. Pooling these efforts together is M4H’s community coach Bold at Work, which brings the community together through its globally inspired Parking Day events. The activities use parking lots as social spaces to start conversations and advocate healthy activities, motivating and inspiring residents to take charge of their own health.

14. Dr Tan Weng Mooi, Head and Director, Integrated Health Promotion, MOHT, said: “M4H is strategically positioned to synergise ground-up preventive health efforts and foster a sense of collective responsibility and collaboration by empowering communities to embed healthy behaviour into their social networks and activities. This also supports national health goals to advance the shared vision of a healthier Singapore.”

SATA CommHealth Community Care initiative: Bridging the HPV immunisation gap

15. Taking the lead in championing preventive health, Boon Lay GROs are working with partners to provide Boon Lay residents from low-income families further help in cancer prevention via highly subsidised Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations, which protect against certain cancers and diseases caused by HPV infection.

16. This initiative, launched on 1 June 2024, is supported by SATA CommHealth, Boon Lay GROs and MSD Pharma (Singapore). Boon Lay is the first community in Singapore to benefit from this community care initiative, which offers free HPV vaccinations to women aged 27 to 45 from the lower-income families. This group of residents may have missed the chance to be vaccinated against HPV via the national programmes or encountered barriers to healthcare access due to their family or financial circumstances.

17. This collaboration demonstrates the power of partnerships, bringing diverse stakeholders together, collaborating and working together to build a preventive care system through Healthier SG. It also exemplifies how effective partnerships can help eliminate barriers to healthcare access and uplift lower-income families in Singapore.

18. Said SATA CommHealth CEO Dr Kelvin Phua: “At SATA CommHealth, we believe we can play a significant role in bridging and promoting health equity for the targeted group of underprivileged women. Leveraging our extensive network of partners and our dedication to community healthcare, we have started to reach out to 1,000 women, and we welcome more partners to join us in this endeavour. We would like to thank MSD Pharma (Singapore) for their generous donation of 3,000 vials of the 9-valent HPV vaccine, worth more than S$500,000.”

NUHS as the Regional Health Manager:

Empowering a cohesive ecosystem for a healthy Boon Lay through “Health Together”

19. As the Regional Health Manager of the western region of Singapore, the National University Health System (NUHS) has since reached about one-third (or over 400,000) of the 1.14 million residents under its care, through its signature community initiative, Health Together. Co-developed and launched with community partners in May 2023 in alignment with the goals of Healthier SG, Health Together is a synergistic collaboration that empowers residents to take charge of their own health, lead healthier lifestyles and achieve better health outcomes.

20. Key features of the initiatives include:

• Health Library

Residents can access curated health and wellness information and resources.

• Self-Assessment Tools

Online checklists and questionnaires can help residents with decisions about lifestyle choices.

• Health Services

Online directories enable residents to locate Primary Care providers like General Practitioners (GPs) as well as specialist care services in the western region of Singapore.

• Events

Events and activities like health screening, community health events and talks are organised in convenient locations around the neighbourhood. These activities, delivered by trained medical professionals and community partners through interactive educational sessions, enable residents to easily learn more about preventive health measures to stay well.

• Community Care Programmes

To bring care closer to residents, NUHS and its community partners work closely to provide a suite of health and care services at 60 Community Health Post (CHP) sites located across the 27 constituencies in western Singapore. At the CHPs, the NUHS Care Teams, comprising community nurses and care coordinators, provide residents with services such as scheduling regular health screenings, co-developing personalised care plans and social prescription, as well as chronic disease management.

21. All these have been enhanced with more services and features available on the NUHS website (www.nuhs.edu.sg) and NUHS App, which is free for all to download to their mobile phones.

Driving Healthy Boon Lay through collective action

22. In a pledge to build a Healthy Boon Lay, MOHT, NUHS and Boon Lay GROs’ ecosystem of supporters, including community care health and social partners and special interest groups, took up stations today at the Boon Lay health carnival to reach out to residents and spearhead a journey towards healthy living through collective action.

23. Community advocates include the Boon Lay Women’s Executive Committee (WEC) which organises activities for women from different backgrounds to cover health matters related to women and family, strategies to better manage work-life balance, parenting, financial literacy and employability; and Nature Kakis who foster appreciation of biodiversity and conservation through guided nature trails.

24. Boon Lay GROs have also made regular sports activities and facilities available and accessible, making it easier for residents to keep fit through regular exercise while bonding with one another. Said Boon Lay Community Sports Network Chairman, Vincent Koh: “Sports aren’t just avenues for unity and wellbeing. From the vigour of football to the precision of pickleball and camaraderie of lawn bowling, our community embraces diversity in sports.”

25. Minister Desmond Lee, Adviser to West Coast GRC GROs: “We hope that by embedding the resources and self-help structures and cultivating a healthy mindset in Boon Lay, residents will find it easier to keep fit and stay healthy. I am encouraged by the partnerships and initiatives to build a healthy and caring Boon Lay where our residents are empowered not just to take charge of their own health, but also care for fellow residents in the community. Together, we can focus on preventive health and build a Healthier Singapore.”