Like many Asian countries, Singapore faces the added challenges of an ageing population. These include a rising chronic disease burden, growing demand for healthcare services and, simultaneously, a shrinking labour force. Given these conditions, access to good healthcare support and services remains crucial to the economic and social development of the country and its neighbours. To address these challenges, on April 10 to 12, 2017, Temasek Foundation International, SingHealth and the Singapore Nurses Association organised the inaugural Temasek Foundation International @ 10 Asia Nurse Leaders Forum, held at the Singapore General Hospital Campus, for more than 200 nurse leaders from 10 Asian countries.

The Forum was officially opened by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health and Environment and Water Resources who stressed the importance of developing “the skills and knowledge of our nurses so that they are able to practice and deliver care at their fullest potential.” With tracks in Education, Quality Management and Ethics, as well as Regulation and Regulatory Requirements, the Forum provided learning and networking platforms for nurses to exchange ideas and best practices. A majority of the forum participants were part of Temasek Foundation International’s past nursing programmes, which included nurse leaders, nurse educators and specialist nurses from China, Sri Lanka, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Singapore. Since 2007, more than 3,200 nurse leaders and specialists in Asia have benefitted from the nursing capability programmes supported by Temasek Foundation International.

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About the event

Funded by Temasek Foundation International, this past event is part of a series of forums and networking programmes to mark the Foundation’s tenth year of partnerships in building capabilities in Asia and beyond. Experts and past TF Int’l programme participants gather at these forums from different parts of Asia to exchange ideas related to nursing, urban planning, technical and vocational education, and engineering frameworks. The participants present projects they had implemented through their programmes, share common challenges, and learn from each other on possible ideas and insights commonly faced across countries.

About Temasek Foundation International

Temasek Foundation International is a Singapore-based non-profit philanthropic organisation that funds and supports programmes, which aim to build capabilities with programme partners in Asia and beyond. These programmes enable human and social capital development, contributing towards a more vibrant and connected global community, with positive networks of cooperation. The programmes also aim to enhance capabilities in the areas of health care, education, public administration, urban management and disaster-response. Temasek Foundation International is a member of the Temasek Philanthropic Platform.

Did you know…

The lack of suitable staff for nursing homes is a big impediment to quality care, says a new report by the Lien Foundation and the Khoo Chwee Neo Foundation. Citing data obtained in 2011, the latest year for which figures are publicly available, the study said that Singapore had around 12 workers per 1,000 people aged 65 and above who work in the long-term care sector, including in nursing homes, day-care and home care settings. By comparison, an average of 32 staff work in long-term care institutions in developed OECD countries. (Source: Singapore Business Review October 2016)