Singapore: a primary health care case study in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

This case study examines primary health care (PHC) in Singapore to inform future policy and practice, incorporating lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic between January 2020 and December 2022. 

Singapore ranks highly against standard measures of health as well as the efficiency of its health system. With a rapidly ageing population and rising rates of chronic disease, new investments in PHC prioritize the social determinants of health, including environmental factors and economic development. This approach is embodied in the September 2022 White Paper on Healthier Singapore (Healthier SG) (1), which aims to empower individuals in disease prevention and health promotion, support family medicine, enhance links between health services and community organizations, improve information technology and service integration, and reform health financing through introducing capitation payments at the primary care level.

Mixed public–private health services and financing models, alongside good governance led by the Ministry of Health (MoH), are key factors. Among the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic include the need to strengthen public-private partnerships, public health planning capabilities, community engagement to build public trust, and information systems.