Population ageing is a persistent global phenomenon. Increasing longevity and declining fertility rates have shifted the age distribution of populations around the globe. With the proportion of individuals at least 60 years of age projected to grow to 40.1% by 2050, Singapore is one of the fastest ageing countries.
This unprecedented ageing results from longer individual lifespans due to improvements in healthcare. Unfortunately, the number of years in ‘good health’ has not kept pace with the lengthening lifespan—implying that time spent in poor health is increasing. At the same time, older individuals are facing declining labour market prospects despite their aspirations and willingness to work at an old age. In the end, population ageing, along with widening health span and lifespan gaps and job insecurity, will have a dramatic impact on economic growth, workforce composition, healthcare, housing, and transportation.
To promote healthy, productive, and purposeful ageing, Singapore has launched Queenstown Health District—a large policy initiative to better understand the implications of population ageing—spearheaded by HDB, NUHS, and NUS. Since Queenstown Health District’s official launch in October 2021, program and research initiatives have been organized into six workstreams: preventive health and care delivery, purposeful longevity, planning and design of the built environment, technology, communications and engagement, and evaluation.
In this panel, we present ongoing (and planned) projects from some of the HD@QT workstreams and related ageing research.
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