HPB Recruits First Corporate Health Ambassador

Singapore, 2 September 2012: As the first Corporate Health Ambassador recruited by the Health Promotion Board (HPB), pharmaceutical company Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) aims to get every staff member to sign up as a Health Ambassador.

2. These MSD employees must follow and pass all training modules conducted by HPB, after which they will be mobilised during HPB‟s health promoting outreach programmes and activities.

3. Leading by example, MSD's top management completed an accelerated training programme and will be mobilised alongside their employees.

4. Depending on their preferred areas of deployment, they can become "I Quit Champions", "Healthy Agers", "Lose to Win Champions", "Brisk Walking Champions", or simply help to conduct simple health checks and provide information on health assistance schemes at community clubs.

5. Said Mr Ang Hak Seng, Chief Executive Officer, HPB: “Our Health Ambassador Network brings together volunteers from all walks of life, who share our vision of inspiring Singaporeans to adopt a healthy lifestyle. The involvement of organisations is an important milestone for the Health Ambassador Network, as it allows us to leverage a concentration of expertise and skills found within these organisations. This partnership with MSD allows HPB to tap a large number of professionals familiar with pharmaceutics, who will be able to contribute as volunteers in helping the less-literate elderly adhere to their medication schedules. We look forward to other organisations coming on board as part of the health promotion extended family and enabling us to tap the power of social networks – particularly within the corporate world – to spread our healthy lifestyle message across the nation.”

6. Said Ms Annie Chin, Managing Director, MSD: “At MSD, corporate social responsibility is a daily commitment to tackle health challenges by discovering better ways to make a difference in everything we do. We are very excited about this collaboration with HPB in our mutual pursuit of promoting healthy living, as MSD believes that a healthconscious lifestyle is the first step to lifelong health and well-being. As Health Ambassadors, not only will our employees benefit from HPB's comprehensive training but, through volunteering in health promotion activities, they will be able to walk the talk and help the community live long and well. We are proud to announce that this collaboration is a company-wide initiative that includes all MSD operations in Singapore – manufacturing, research, animal health, regional headquarters, shared business services as well as marketing & sales, and we look forward to a fruitful and meaningful partnership with HPB."

7. HPB‟s Corporate Health Ambassador Programme is an extension of its existing Health Ambassador Network, which was formed to recruit, train and deploy community volunteers passionate about promoting a healthy lifestyle to their families, friends as well as their entire communities.

8. Since the Health Ambassador Network was launched in October last year, more than 3,000 people of all ages and backgrounds have signed up to be Health Ambassadors, helping out at various HPB outreach activities such as integrated screenings, weight management programmes, smoking cessation counselling programmes, workshops, talks and road shows.

9. With the launch of the Corporate Health Ambassador Programme, HPB is also introducing a new e-learning platform for its Health Ambassadors so as to enable training modules for Health Ambassadors to be conducted conveniently online.

10. HPB aims to recruit 10 Corporate Health Ambassadors by the end of 2012. 

Issued by Health Promotion Board

Media Release

For more information on the article above, refer to Media Release [PDF, 92.2 KB].