Health Promotion Board Celebrates Inaugural Health Ambassador Day With 1,000 Health Ambassador

Singapore, 10 February 2012: The Health Promotion Board (HPB) recognises the outstanding contributions of its Health Ambassadors by celebrating the inaugural Health Ambassador Day with about 1,000 Health Ambassadors.

2. After all, the wellbeing of our community has been the topmost priority of these Health Ambassadors since HPB launched its Health Ambassador Network in October 2011 to encourage people of all ages and walks of life to become advocates of healthy living.

3. With a united passion for leading a healthy lifestyle, Health Ambassadors are equipped by HPB with the knowledge and functional skills they need to mentor their peers, conduct simple healthrelated activities such as BMI and blood pressure tests, and share health tips and information.

4. This includes information about government health policies and the various health assistance schemes available, such as the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS), as well as advice on how to sign up for these schemes.

5. A testament to the diverse texture of its Health Ambassador Network, HPB counts among its Health Ambassadors professionals such as doctors, dentists and nurses, who want to give back to their communities by volunteering their services and expertise at various HPB outreach activities.

6. As a feedback channel, HPB‟s Health Ambassadors help to fine-tune health policies and programmes by relaying to HPB what Singaporeans think about them.

7. To pay tribute to the invaluable contributions of these Health Ambassadors and encourage more Singaporeans to come on board, Guest-of-honour Dr Amy Khor, Minister of State for Health, is stepping forth as Chief Health Ambassador.

8. “The ambassador is the 'new' volunteer. Beyond participating in altruistic activities for the good of others, he or she is a role model and change agent. Not only do HPB's Health Ambassadors volunteer at various outreach events, they walk the talk of healthy living and inspire those they care about to do the same. I am honoured to be in their company,” said Dr Khor.

9. “HPB's Health Ambassador Network has injected new energy into a social movement that will eventually carry the message of healthy living to every household in Singapore. This is the kind of ground-up approach in health promotion, tapping on something as simple as the social networks of ordinary Singaporeans, which HPB celebrates. This network will be integral to HPB's vision of coplanning, co-creating and co-implementing with Singapore residents, health-promoting communities across the island,” said Mr Ang Hak Seng, Chief Executive, HPB.

10. HPB aims to have 10,000 Health Ambassadors by 2015, generating and sustaining a nationwide social movement that promotes a healthy lifestyle as the preferred choice for every Singaporean.

11. Today, the latest batches of 234 Senior Health Ambassadors and 183 Youth Mental Health Ambassadors are joining the ranks of existing Health Ambassadors to form a growing network of about 2,000 Health Ambassadors.

12. To celebrate the inaugural Health Ambassador Day, HPB is also signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National University of Singapore's Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH), paving the way for a Health Promotion Academy.

13. Managed by HPB, the Health Promotion Academy will function as a Centre of Excellence for Health Literacy, developing programmes and curricula for training Health Ambassadors in health promotion and disease prevention.

14. Not the same as health education, health literacy is a relatively new area of knowledge and research aimed at raising awareness of health-related issues so as to effect behavioural change.

15. “By setting up a Health Promotion Academy, our Health Ambassadors will have access to even more rigorous training and development opportunities. This means they will be even more confident and effective in their roles as peer mentors, sharing healthy living messages with families and friends, and raising the level of health literacy across Singapore,” said Mr Ang.

16. The training curriculum for new ambassador recruits comprises a 12-hour basic module. Subsequently, Health Ambassadors will be strongly encouraged to take intermediate and advance modules to gain in-depth knowledge on specific health topics such as physical activity, nutrition, mental wellbeing, as well as health, cancer and functional screenings.

17. The Health Promotion Academy also offers several specialist pathways. For example, a Health Ambassador may work towards becoming a smoking cessation counsellor or a Master Trainer, training new volunteers or ambassadors.

18. The MoU between HPB and the SSHSPH aims to facilitate a strong exchange between applied research and policy formulation, as well as the co-creation of innovative solutions on the ground to meet population meets. Research is a key collaborative area, where HPB and SSHSPH will jointly identify research opportunities and conduct research projects of mutual interest.

19. In addition, HPB will be working with the International Union for Health Promotion and Education, Nanyang Polytechnic, medical schools and other tertiary institutions to develop and offer health promotion curricula and courses, and formulate a national framework on the certification and recognition of health promotion disciplines.

Annex 1 Fact Sheet – Health Ambassador Network
Annex 2 Fact Sheet – Senior Ambassador Programmes
Annex 3 Fact Sheet – Youth Ambassador Programmes

Issued by Health Promotion Board

Media Release

For more information on the article above, refer to Media Release [PDF, 276.5 KB].