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figures  are  relatively  higher  compared  to  those  of  neighbouring  countries  —  the  life  expectancy  of  women  in  Malaysia  is  77  years,  and  for  men,  73.  In  Indonesia,  women  live  up  to  72  years  while  men  live  up  to  68  years.  In  Japan  —  a  country  with  one  of  the  highest  longevity  rates  in  the  world  —  women  live  up  to  87  years  while  men  live  up  to  80  years.  

With  figures  like  these,  it  is  clear  that  Singaporeans  are  on  par  with  the  citizens  of  developed  nations.  But  as  we  enjoy  more  affluence  —  and  longer  lives  —  staying  in  good  health  is  a  greater  concern.  

According  to  the  National  Health  Survey  2010,  the  major  causes  of  death  among  Singaporeans  are  cancer,  coronary  heart  disease,  diabetes,  hypertension  and  stroke.  These  medical  conditions  share  many  common  risk  factors  —  among  them  smoking,  obesity,  physical  inactivity  and  alcohol  

The  breakneck  speed  at  which  Singapore  hurtled  towards  modernity  over  the  last  four  decades  has  given  most  

Singaporeans  better  homes  and  greater  access  to  healthcare  facilities  and  services.

According  to  the  United  Nations  Statistics  Division,  the  life  expectancies  of  females  and  males  in  Singapore  is  84  years  and  79  years  respectively.  These  

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consumption  —  which  increase  the  chances  of  getting  them.  Every  day,  15  people  die  from  cardiovascular  disease  in  Singapore.  This  accounts  for  31.6  per  cent  of  all  deaths  in  the  country.  

Cancer  and  heart  disease  are  among  the  top  10  conditions  of  hospitalisation.  The  most  common  cancers  in  men  are  colorectal  and  lung  cancers,  while  the  most  common  cancers  in  women  are  breast  and  colorectal  cancers.    

Ups and downs Overall,  there  have  been  favourable  trends  in  hypertension  and  high  blood  cholesterol  cases.  The  rate  for  high  blood  pressure  or  hypertension  among  people  aged  between  30  and  69  years  old  has  decreased  by  one  per  cent  in  six  years.  The  current  percentage  for  deaths  caused  by  hypertension  is  now  at  23.5  per  cent.  The  National  Health  Survey  also  found  that  men  are  more  susceptible  to  the  condition,  with  Malays  the  most  at  risk,  followed  by  Chinese  and  Indians.  

However  hypertension  is  hardly  a  debilitating  condition  and  is  easily  managed  with  a  few  lifestyle  tweaks.  Sixty  four-­‐year-­‐old  housewife  Tan  Mei  Tin  first  learnt  that  she  had  hypertension  when  she  was  in  her  30s.  She  consulted  a  doctor  when  she  was  frequently  fatigued  and  giddy.  At  first,  Madam  Tan  refused  to  believe  the  diagnosis  as  she  is  a  vegetarian  and  non-­‐smoker.  But  the  diagnosis  proved  to  be  the  same  after  she  consulted  three  doctors.

To  manage  her  high  blood  pressure,  Mdm  Tan  now  cuts  down  on  fried  food.    “I  also  try  to  reduce  my  caffeine  intake  after  I  developed  heart  palpitations  when  I  drank  a  cup  of  coffee  recently,”  she  adds.  

On  the  other  hand,  the  numbers  for  obesity  and  diabetes  are  rising.  The  National  Health  Survey  found  that  10.8  per  cent  of  Singapore’s  population  is  obese  —  an  increase  of  3.9  per  cent  in  six  years.  As  for  diabetes,  11.3  per  cent  

of  the  population  suffer  from  one  type  of  diabetes,  a  3.1  per  cent  jump  from  2004.  

 The kids are (not) all right Other  than  chronic  illnesses,  a  current  concern  for  families  with  young  children  is  Hand,  Foot  and  Mouth  Disease  (HFMD).  This  year,  13,289  cases  have  been  reported  so  far  —  twice  the  average  number  in  the  same  period  (between  January  and  June)  in  the  last  five  years.  

In  2010,  a  total  of  30,878  cases  were  reported,  an  increase  from  17,278  cases  in  2009.  The  incidence  of  the  disease  is  influenced  by  factors  such  as  the  children’s  immunity  and  social  dynamics.  HFMD  is  spread  from  person  to  person  by  direct  contact  with  the  nasal  discharge,  saliva  and  blisters  of  an  infected  person.  

Manifested  in  rash-­‐like  outbreaks  on  the  hands,  feet  and  in  the  mouth,  HFMD  is  a  mild  and  self-­‐limiting  disease.  Self-­‐limiting  diseases  usually  resolve  by  themselves  without  the  need  for  medical  attention.  But  in  the  case  of  HFMD,  medical  treatment  helps  the  disease  to  run  its  course  faster.

“A  child  with  HFMD  is  infectious  throughout  the  duration  of  the  illness  and  should  therefore  stay  at  home  and  not  go  to  public  places,”  says  Ms  Zarina  Yusof,  deputy  director  of  the  Youth  

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BY THE NUMBERS Top 10 causes of death in Singapore

2008 2009 2010

TOTAL NO. OF DEATHS 17,222 17,101 17,610

% OF TOTAL DEATHS

1 Cancer 29.3 29.3 28.5

2 Ischaemic heart disease (including heart attack)

20.1 19.2 18.7

3 Pneumonia 13.9 15.3 15.7

4 Cerebrovascular disease (including stroke)

8.3 8 8.4

5 Accidents, poisoning & violence 5.8 5.7 5.5

6 Other heart diseases 4 4.4 4.8

7 Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease 2.5 2.4 2.5

8 Urinary tract infection 2.1 2.5 2.5

9 Kidney disease 2.1 2.3 2.2

10 Diabetes mellitus (Type 2 diabetes) 2.7 1.7 1

the  ulcers  on  his  mouth  would  hurt.  He  was  able  to  take  some  porridge  on  the  third  and  fourth  days,”  Zauyah,  30,  says.  

Signs  and  symptoms  of  HFMD  include  fever,  sore  throat  and  runny  nose,  ulcers  in  the  throat,  mouth  and  tongue  as  well  as  blisters  on  hands  and  feet.  Blisters  may  also  be  found  on  the  buttocks,  arms  and  legs.  

Ms  Yusof  says  that  some  infected  children  might  not  have  symptoms  or  signs  but  can  still  spread  the  virus.  

 According  to  her,  it  is  possible  for  an  adult  to  catch  HFMD  from  his  or  her  children.  “Both  adults  and  children  can  be  affected,  but  young  children  below  five  years-­‐old  are  particularly  susceptible,”  notes  Ms  Yusof.

On  the  rare  occasions  that  adults  and  older  children  contract  the  virus,  there  may  be  no  symptoms.  Adults  however,  may  suffer  from  a  milder  version  of  the  disease  in  the  form  of  ulcers  in  the  mouth.

All abuzz Another  health-­‐related  concern  that  has  continued  to  plague  Singapore  since  the  1960s  is  dengue  fever.  

The  number  of  dengue  cases  in  Singapore,  however,    has  declined  from  2007  to  2011.  The  worst  epidemic  was  in  2005  in  which  14,209  cases  were  reported.  

The  typical  peak  season  of  dengue  transmission  in  Singapore  is  usually  from  May  to  September.    Dr  Leo  Yee  Sin,  head  of  the  Infectious  Disease  Department  at  Tan  Tock  Seng  Hospital,  says  that  the  reason  dengue  cases  rise  during  these  months  may  be  because  of  higher  rainfall.  

“Environments  with  higher  instances  of  rain  and  hot  weather  are  more  likely  to  provide  a  more  favourable  breeding  condition  as  dengue  virus  replicates  more  effectively  in  hot  temperature,”  says  Dr  Leo.

Symptoms  of  dengue  fever  include  headache,  nausea,  muscle  and  joint  pain.  Dengue  virus  has  four  serotypes,  which  means  that  it  is  caused  by  bacteria  or  viruses  with  four  distinct  variations.  

*Source: Ministry of Health

Zauyah Burhan was surprised that her 10-month-old son contracted HFMD even when he had no contact with other children.

Health  Division  at  the  Health  Promotion  Board.

Zauyah  Burhan’s  10-­‐month-­‐old  son,  Uwaimir,  contracted  HFMD  in  May.  When  she  discovered  red  spots  on  the  child’s  arms,  she  brought  him  to  the  doctor  who  confirmed  that  it  was  HFMD.

Zauyah,  a  bank  officer,  and  her  husband  were  baffled  as  Uwaimir  had  no  contact  with  other  children  nor  was  he  enrolled  at  a  childcare  centre.  They  had  only  visited  some  relatives  shortly  before  he  was  diagnosed  with  HFMD.  Her  son  recovered  well  and  the  red  spots  disappeared  within  a  week.  

“During  the  first  few  days,  we  put  him  on  a  liquid  diet  as  we  were  afraid  

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*Source: Ministry of Health

“Being  infected  with  one  can  only  give  life-­‐long  immunity  against  that  serotype  but  not  the  other  three,”  says  Dr  Leo.  “Singapore  has  all  four  serotypes  in  circulation  but  dengue  serotype  2  is  the  predominant  one.”

Dengue  fever  is  easily  avoided  by  making  a  few  simple  adjustments  at  home.  Simply  make  sure  that  you  cover  spots  where  water  may  collect  and  for  areas  where  stagnant  water  cannot  be  removed,  treat  the  area  with  sand  granular  Bti  insecticide,  which  is  a  kind  of  insecticide  that  contains  a  group  of  bacteria  called  Bacillus  thuringiensis  serovar  israelensis  (Bti)  that  kill  mosquito  larvae  in  the  water  to  prevent  further  breeding.  

got  married  seven  years  ago.    After  seeking  treatment  for  irregular  

menstruation  and  consulting  several  doctors,  she  was  diagnosed  with  polycystic  ovarian  syndrome.  One  out  of  five  women  in  Singapore  suffers  from  this  ailment.  

“As  I  have  a  lot  of  male  hormones,  my  eggs  cannot  break  down  into  menstrual  blood.  

“While  the  ovaries  of  a  normal  woman  are  the  size  of  a  walnut,  mine  is  slightly  larger  —  that  of  a  fishball’s  —  due  to  the  presence  of  cysts  inside  the  ovaries.  The  doctor  told  me  my  only  hope  of  getting  pregnant  is  to  go  for  In-­‐Vitro  Fertilisation  (IVF),”  says  Jennifer.  

Women  with  this  condition  will  find  it  harder  to  conceive  because  cysts  prevent  the  eggs  from  maturing.  This  results  in  irregular  ovulation.  

Jennifer  went  for  IVF  two  years  ago  and  got  pregnant.  But  she  had  a  miscarriage,  which  she  attributes  to  work  stress.  She  plans  to  get  some  time  off  work  to  prepare  for  IVF  sessions  again.  The  treatment  can  cost  between  $6,000  and  $13,000  depending  on  which  hospital  she  goes  to.

According  to  a  report  by  the  Ministry  of  Health  (MOH)  in  2005,  the  success  rate  of  IVF  treatments  in  Singapore  is  between  16  per  cent  and  28  per  cent.  In  comparison,  the  average  success  rate  of  IVF  in  the  United  Kingdom  is  22  per  cent,  while  in  the  United  States  it  is  27  per  cent.  MOH  also  reported  that  factors  such  as  age  and  other  existing  health  conditions  can  affect  the  rate  of  success.  Younger  women  tend  to  have  higher  success  rates  because  their  eggs  are  healthier.

To  improve  a  woman’s  success  rate,  doctors  suggest  that  she  should  maintain  a  healthy  Body  Mass  Index  (BMI)  between  19  and  30.  If  you  are  overweight,  you  can  increase  your  chances  of  following  through  a  successful  pregnancy  by  losing  weight  before  starting  IVF  treatment.  

But  whether  it  is  fertility  issues  or  health  problems  such  as  dengue  fever,  the  fact  that  in  Singapore,  easy  access  to  world  class  healthcare  means  that  these  conditions  can  be  better  managed  and  controlled.

TOP 5 CANCERSAccording to the Singapore Cancer Society, one in four Singaporeans dies of cancer. What are the most common cancers occurring among

Singaporean men and women?

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4,262Breast

7,458Colorectal

3,647Lung

1,977Uterus

1,487Ovary

1,405

Lung

3,988Prostate

2,669Liver

1,823Stomach

1,407

If  you  suspect  that  you  have  dengue  fever,  consult  a  doctor  immediately  if  you  experience  symptoms  such  as  sudden  high  fever,  a  purplish  skin  rash  or  pain  behind  the  eyes.

Making babiesAnother  health  concern  is  the  falling  fertility  rate  for  Singaporean  women.  It  is  a  major  concern  because  the  population  is  ageing.  The  fertility  rate  has  dropped  from  1.28  per  cent  in  2008  to  1.15  per  cent  in  2010.  

A  woman  who  has  experienced  difficulty  getting  pregnant  is  32-­‐year-­‐old  Jennifer  Tan,  who  has  been  trying  for  a  baby  since  she  

IN SINGAPORE (2005-2009)

Jul-Sep 13

Colorectal