For creating awareness about diabetes, young Singaporeans below the age of 40 who are assessed to be at risk of developing this disease are eligible to undergo a full screening for SGD5 after completing an online survey.
The survey, called Diabetes Risk Assessment (DRA), comprises seven questions relating to date of birth, gender, family history of diabetes and Body Mass Index (BMI) and can be completed in just two minutes.
If the DRA survey indicates that a person is at risk of diabetes, then he will be able to make use of the Health Promotion Board's Enhanced Screen for Life subsidies and undergo a full screening for just SGD5.
The main purpose of the free self-assessment DRA survey is to encourage young Singaporeans aged 18 to 39 years old to be more aware about their risk of developing the condition and start taking precautionary measures right from the beginning.
The survey will help young people of Singapore to assess their current risk for undiagnosed diabetes and, based on the assessment, go for a follow-up diabetes screening if necessary.
The initiative is part of the Ministry of Health (MOH) efforts to curb the rising health problem as about one million people are projected to be afflicted with diabetes by 2050.
Since the launch of the survey on September 1, about 15,000 people have taken the test. Of these, four per cent have been invited to undergo the further screening.
MOH said the DRA will allow the ministry to not only identify cases earlier, but also help certain groups like pre-diabetics who may require more frequent screening and prompt management.
With one in every three Singaporeans having a lifetime risk of developing diabetes, MOH said that for those under the age of 40, risk factors such as family history, hypertension, or an unhealthy body mass index (BMI) should also be taken into consideration.
People can access the survey at the DRA website.