Bone density and other muscular tests for women to be offered through Healthier SG: Ong Ye Kung

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said details of screening tests for osteoporosis and sarcopenia will be announced soon.

ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Published Oct 06, 2026, 10:20 PM

Updated Oct 06, 2026, 10:20 PM

Bone density and muscular tests will be offered to women through Healthier SG to prevent osteoporosis and sarcopenia, with resources to strengthen bones and muscles.

Subsidised genetic testing and MediShield Life coverage will be extended for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, aiding early detection and preventive surgery.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung emphasised ongoing support for women’s health and roles, highlighting the importance of recognising women's achievements to inspire future generations.

SINGAPORE – Bone density and other muscular tests will be made more accessible to women, and resources will be provided to help women strengthen their bones and build up their muscles, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Oct 6.

The screening tests will be provided through the national preventive health programme Healthier SG, he said at the annual Her World Woman of the Year award ceremony, highlighting the importance of women’s health on the national agenda.

Ong added that the details of these initiatives will be announced “hopefully soon”.

Women, especially after menopause, are more susceptible to osteoporosis and sarcopenia, conditions where bone tissue and muscle mass are lost with ageing.

At the event held at METT Singapore hotel, Ong said that so long as women continue to be physiologically different from men, “they must continue to be on the health agenda”.

Under new screening guidelines by the Screening Test Review Committee issued in 2026, women from age 50 or post-menopause, whichever is earlier, are recommended to undergo osteoporosis screening and risk assessment.

Previously, there were no screening recommendations for the general population for osteoporosis – a disease characterised by an increased fracture risk because of the deterioration of bone tissue.

Ong, who is also Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, also recounted how another recent policy change that benefits women primarily came to be – the extension of subsidised genetic testing to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) from December.

It started with him asking his ministry why preventive mastectomy cannot be claimed under the insurance of those at high risk of having breast cancer. The answer – the procedure is a preventive treatment, whereas insurance claims are allowed only for curative treatments.

Up to 70 per cent of the costs of specific, approved genetic tests will be subsidised for eligible Singapore citizens and permanent residents, who can also tap their MediSave to offset the remaining cost.

In addition to subsidy, MOH has also extended MediShield Life coverage for risk-reducing mastectomy in the third quarter of 2026, and by the fourth quarter, it will extend coverage to risk-reducing removal of both the fallopian tubes and ovaries for those who test positive for HBOC.

Genetic counselling will be offered to women before and after their genetic test. For those who tested positive, the genetic test will also be offered to their immediate family members.

These developments were announced in 2026, a year Ong described as a special year for women to him. Among other things, he assumed the role of co-chairperson of the Board of the World Economic Forum's Global Alliance for Women’s Health.

In addition to placing women on the health agenda, he also said that as long as societal expectations of the role of women remain different from that of men, governments around the world must continue to build up systems, structures and networks, to support women in juggling their various roles.

And “as long as the above two factors continue to hold true, there will continue to be a role for events like this, where we honour the achievements of women, so that young girls looking at the Women of the Year will be inspired by what is possible as they grow up”.

DBS group chief executive Tan Su Shan, 58, was named the Her World Woman of the Year 2026, while environmental advocate Kong Man Jing, 32, received the Her World Young Woman Achiever 2026 award.

Wei Qiang is a correspondent at The Straits Times. He is on the health beat, with a special interest in healthcare policies.

卫生部长王乙康表示，骨质疏松症和肌肉减少症筛查测试的详情将很快公布。

ST 照片：林耀辉

发布于2026年10月6日晚上10:20

更新于2026年10月6日晚上10:20

新加坡健康计划 (Healthier SG) 将为女性提供骨密度和肌肉测试，以预防骨质疏松症和肌肉减少症，并提供增强骨骼和肌肉的资源。

政府将扩大对遗传性乳腺癌和卵巢癌的补贴，包括基因检测和终身健保计划，以帮助早期发现和预防性手术。

卫生部长王乙康强调将继续支持女性的健康和作用，并强调表彰女性的成就对于激励后代的重要性。

新加坡——卫生部长王乙康于10月6日表示，将使女性更容易获得骨密度和其他肌肉测试，并提供资源帮助女性增强骨骼和肌肉。

他在一年一度的《她的世界》年度女性颁奖典礼上表示，筛查测试将通过国家预防保健计划“更健康的新加坡”提供，并强调了女性健康在国家议程上的重要性。

Ong补充说，这些举措的细节“希望很快”就会公布。

女性，尤其是绝经后的女性，更容易患上骨质疏松症和肌肉减少症，这两种疾病都会导致随着年龄增长而出现的骨组织和肌肉质量下降。

在新加坡METT酒店举行的活动上，翁表示，只要女性在生理上与男性存在差异，“她们就必须继续被纳入健康议程”。

根据筛查测试审查委员会于 2026 年发布的新筛查指南，建议 50 岁或绝经后（以较早者为准）的女性接受骨质疏松症筛查和风险评估。

此前，对于普通人群，并没有针对骨质疏松症（一种因骨组织退化而导致骨折风险增加的疾病）的筛查建议。

兼任社会政策统筹部长的王乙康还讲述了另一项主要惠及女性的近期政策变化是如何产生的——从去年 12 月起，将补贴基因检测范围扩大到遗传性乳腺癌和卵巢癌 (HBOC)。

事情起因是他向卫生部询问，为什么预防性乳房切除术不能纳入乳腺癌高危人群的医保报销范围。得到的答复是——该手术属于预防性治疗，而医保只报销治疗费用。

符合条件的新加坡公民和永久居民可享受特定、经批准的基因检测费用高达 70% 的补贴，他们还可以使用保健储蓄账户来抵消剩余费用。

除了补贴外，卫生部还将从 2026 年第三季度起把预防性乳房切除术纳入终身健保计划的承保范围，到第四季度，承保范围将扩大到对 HBOC 检测呈阳性者进行预防性输卵管和卵巢切除术。

基因检测前后，女性都将获得遗传咨询服务。对于检测结果呈阳性的女性，其直系亲属也将接受基因检测。

这些进展是在2026年宣布的，翁称这一年对他而言是女性的特殊年份。除其他事项外，他还担任了世界经济论坛全球女性健康联盟理事会的联合主席。

除了将女性纳入健康议程之外，他还表示，只要社会对女性角色的期望与男性角色的期望仍然存在差异，世界各国政府就必须继续建立制度、结构和网络，以支持女性兼顾她们的各种角色。

“只要上述两个因素继续成立，这类活动就将继续发挥作用，通过表彰女性的成就，让年轻女孩们在观看年度女性的评选时，能够从中获得启发，从而激励她们在成长过程中看到自己未来的无限可能。”

星展集团首席执行官陈素珊（58岁）被评为2026年《Her World》杂志年度女性，而环保倡导者孔曼静（32岁）则获得了2026年《Her World》杂志青年女性成就奖。

魏强是《海峡时报》的记者，主要负责健康领域的报道，尤其关注医疗政策。