Update on Steps Taken to Delay and Prevent Dementia and Increasing Awareness for Need for Community Screening

27 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry can provide an update on the steps taken to delay and prevent dementia among Singaporeans; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider (i) conducting community screening for pre-dementia in the form of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and (ii) taking steps to identify the causes and treat MCI to prevent deterioration to dementia.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: The onset of dementia can be prevented or delayed through the adoption of healthy lifestyle habits, including having regular physical activity, maintaining a balanced diet, not having excessive alcohol intake and not smoking. Screening for chronic conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, would enable early detection and timely intervention to reduce the associated risk of dementia.

However, there is no clear evidence internationally that population-wide dementia screening in persons without recognised signs or symptoms of cognitive impairment is an effective public health intervention.

Hence, our current efforts continue to be more targeted, focusing on increasing dementia literacy and awareness, early identification of persons at risk or suspected to have dementia in the community and referral for early interventions. Over the last year, our community outreach teams have reached out to 150,000 persons and provided assistance to 4,000 persons who were at risk of developing dementia and/or mental health conditions.