SINGAPORE, Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AIA Singapore today successfully concluded its inaugural AIA Healthcare Summit 2026, bringing together more than 700 policymakers, clinical specialists, technology innovators, and corporate leaders at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore. Centred on the landmark theme, "Purposeful Longevity: Advancing Holistic Health through Public-Private Partnerships," the AIA Healthcare Summit served as a national platform to address the societal, financial, and infrastructural challenges of Singapore’s rapidly ageing population.
The event was graced by Guest of Honour Ms. Lai Wei Lin, Permanent Secretary (Policy and Development) at the Ministry of Health, who delivered an opening keynote speech.
As Singapore’s population ages, longer lifespans, rising medical costs, increasing rates of chronic disease and longer periods of care are placing growing pressure on the sustainability of the healthcare system. Addressing these increasingly complex challenges will require a fundamental shift in how healthcare is financed, delivered, and experienced.
"As Singaporeans live longer, our collective focus must shift from merely adding years to life, to adding life to those years. Sustainable longevity requires a fundamental shift away from reactive healthcare. At AIA Singapore, we believe that bridging the ten-year gap between lifespan and healthspan is a challenge that cannot be solved by a single sector alone. It requires deep, integrated public-private partnerships that align healthcare financing, clinical geroscience, digital innovation, and behavioural science," said Ms Wong Sze Keed, Chief Executive Officer, AIA Singapore.
"By championing preventive care and collaborating across ecosystems, we are committed to empowering Singaporeans to secure not just their financial futures, but their physical and mental vitality, enabling them to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives," she added.
Building a sustainable healthcare ecosystem through collective action
Convening leaders from across the healthcare, insurance, and policy landscape, the AIA Healthcare Summit examined how public-private partnerships act as the primary line of defence against cost escalation. The most effective lever for stabilising long-term healthcare costs is to shift the entire system upstream away from reactive, treatment-driven care and towards prevention, early intervention, and continuous health management.
Discussions also highlighted that healthy longevity requires a whole-of-society approach. Healthcare, insurance, employers, government, communities, and individuals must work together to shape environments that enable Singaporeans to live longer, healthier and more purposeful lives.
From treating illness to preventing it: redefining healthcare around healthspan
While Singaporeans expect to live to an average age of 80.2 years, they expect their health to begin declining at 70.2 years[1], living a full decade spent in poor health, a gap that is especially pronounced among younger demographics.
The recent AIA Longevity Study also found that more than half of Singaporeans (51%) now view longevity as a concern rather than an opportunity, reflecting growing uncertainty about what it means to age well.
Against this backdrop, the AIA Healthcare Summit explored how Singapore can shift from treating illness to enabling healthier longevity by advancing preventive healthcare, accelerating earlier intervention, harnessing digital innovation, and strengthening collaboration across the public and private sectors to close the ten-year gap between lifespan and healthspan.
Harnessing AI and technology to power healthier longevity
Leading voices across health technology, data science and digital innovation at the AIA Healthcare Summit explored how artificial intelligence, data analytics, precision medicine and connected health technologies are transforming healthcare from reactive episodic treatment to preventive, continuous, personalised care.
From AI-powered health services and predictive analytics to precision geromedicine and consumer wearables, experts highlighted how technology is enabling earlier identification of health risks, unlocking preventive healthcare, and empowering individuals with personalised insights to take greater control of their health. Panellists also emphasised that the greatest value of technology lies not simply in generating more data, but in translating insights into meaningful action that helps people lead healthier, longer lives.
Designing healthier behaviours for longer, better lives
Speakers emphasised that technology alone is not enough. While advances in medicine continue to improve healthcare, better health outcomes ultimately depend on helping people adopt healthier behaviours throughout their lives. Behavioural science emerged as a key enabler of healthier longevity, and the AIA Healthcare Summit explored how individuals can be supported to make healthier decisions every day, and how systems, incentives and environments can be designed to make healthy habits easier, more sustainable and more rewarding over the long term.
The workplace as one of the most important frontlines for healthy longevity
The AIA Longevity Study found that Singaporeans view longevity as more than simply living longer — they want to remain active, independent, and purposeful throughout later life, with a majority across all age groups expressing a desire to continue working for as long as they are able. As longer working lives become both an aspiration and an economic reality, maintaining good health throughout one’s entire career is increasingly critical.
The AIA Healthcare Summit explored how the workplace has become one of the most influential settings for shaping long-term health outcomes. As individuals spend a significant portion of their lives at work, the workplace presents a unique opportunity to promote preventive health, encourage healthier behaviours and support long-term wellbeing beyond traditional employee benefits.
"Our workforce is one of Singapore’s greatest assets, and protecting its health cannot begin only when illness occurs. As people live and work longer, employers have an increasingly important role in creating environments that support lifelong vitality. We must redefine workplace wellbeing—not as a good-to-have employee benefit, but as a strategic investment in a healthier workforce, stronger businesses and Singapore’s long-term economic resilience and competitiveness. By embedding preventive health and wellbeing into the workplace, we can help more Singaporeans stay healthier, remain productive, and lead purposeful lives for longer," said Mr Kenneth Tan, Chief Corporate Solutions Officer of AIA Singapore.
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About AIA
AIA Group Limited and its subsidiaries (collectively "AIA" or the "Group") comprise the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group. It has a presence in 18 markets – wholly-owned branches and subsidiaries in Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR[2], Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan (China), Vietnam, Brunei and Macau SAR[3], and a 49 per cent joint venture in India. In addition, AIA has a 24.99 per cent shareholding in China Post Life Insurance Co., Ltd.
The business that is now AIA was first established in Shanghai more than a century ago in 1919. It is a market leader in Asia (ex-Japan) based on life insurance premiums and holds leading positions across the majority of its markets. It had total assets of US$345 billion as of 31 December 2025.
AIA meets the long-term savings and protection needs of individuals by offering a range of products and services including life insurance, accident and health insurance and savings plans. The Group also provides employee benefits, credit life and pension services to corporate clients. Through an extensive network of agents, partners and employees across Asia, AIA serves the holders of more than 44 million individual policies and over 16 million participating members of group insurance schemes.
AIA Group Limited is listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited under the stock codes "1299" for HKD counter and "81299" for RMB counter with American Depositary Receipts (Level 1) traded on the over-the-counter market under the ticker symbol "AAGIY".
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[1] The longer we live, the more we worry: AIA Longevity Study finds Singaporeans view longevity with more anxiety than opportunity (23 July 2026). AIA Singapore. Available at: https://www.aia.com.sg/en/about-aia/media-centre/press-releases/2026/aia-longevity-study-finds-singaporeans-view-longevity-with-more-anxiety-than-opportunity [2] Hong Kong SAR refers to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. [3] Macau SAR refers to the Macau Special Administrative Region. |
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