Singapore's Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) officially launched to address infectious disease challenges through a 3-pillar strategy. The agency will undertake initiatives such as refreshing national pandemic plans and working with like-minded partners as part of the strategy to 'prepare, prevent, and protect' as it tackles infectious disease threats.
The CDA consolidates public health and scientific expertise, operational and policy capabilities, and surveillance and analytics skills and systems, which formerly resided across the Ministry of Health (MOH), the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, and the Health Promotion Board. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong launched the CDA, emphasizing the need for enhanced collaboration, knowledge sharing, and capability development.
Since its operations on April 1, 2025, the CDA has introduced initiatives to strengthen nationwide public health defenses. These include the Singapore Pandemic Preparedness and Response Framework, which aims to bolster pandemic readiness, and updating the National Adult Immunisation Schedule in September to strengthen Singapore's immunisation policy. The CDA's strategy is built on three pillars: Prepare, Prevent, and Protect.
The Prepare pillar involves the national Programme for Research in Epidemic Preparedness and REsponse (PREPARE), which strengthens Singapore's research capabilities to prepare for and respond to current and future threats. The Prevent pillar focuses on reviewing and enhancing the immunisation framework, protecting the population, and working with healthcare institutions to strengthen infection prevention and control. The Protect pillar involves updating the national surveillance strategy, leveraging new technologies, and enhancing laboratory capabilities for rapid detection and timely characterisation of pathogens.
Despite global collaboration to strengthen preparedness and response, momentum has slowed, according to PM Wong. He emphasised the need for the CDA to re-double its efforts and work with like-minded partners to strengthen cooperation on disease surveillance, intelligence sharing, and R&D in areas like vaccines. The CDA will also take the lead in refreshing and updating national pandemic plans to stay alert to emerging risks and ramp up buffers and defences.
PM Wong highlighted the CDA's role in strengthening Singapore's resilience against endemic diseases, tackling topics such as slowing the development of drug-resistant germs, improving infection prevention and control, and advancing scientific research to protect public health. The CDA's launch represents a bold step forward to safeguard Singapore from the ever-present threat of infectious diseases.
