Every day 150,000 people die in the world. 3 in every 4 deaths are categorised as being from age-related diseases.

The main causes of Death include Heart Attack, Stroke, Lung and other Respiratory diseases, Cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and other types of neurodegenerative diseases.

Global Life expectancy is now 72. This is an astounding change in the last two centuries as in 1800 the global life expectancy was 29. It is especially impressive since 1950 when life expectancy was just 46. 

 

 While clearly this increase is to be celebrated, the period of time during which people are critically ill has also extended. 

 

As deaths from infectious diseases and childhood mortality become much less frequent coupled with a decline in impact from heart attacks among those in middle-age there are now more and more long term sufferers of diseases like cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. 

 

These diseases can lead to many years of suffering and the need for the state to spend vast sums of money in care facilities and services.

 

The current paradigm of healthcare centres on treating these diseases when they present clinically. In recent years progress in understanding of human biology has shown the potential benefits of moving upstream from these diseases and looking to intervene in the deterioration that precedes the disease. We normally refer to this deterioration, holistically, as Aging.

 

This re-examination leads to treating degenerative diseases in a preventative manner as well as curative. In what is becoming the most exciting area of human pursuit and exploding into, quite possibly, the biggest industry of all time the Longevity Era has begun.

 

It is important to emphasize that we are talking about healthy longevity, this is sometimes referred to as Healthspan. This indicates working towards better health as people advance in years or a longer period of life in good health. Any accompanying maximum Lifespan increases are as yet theoretical. 

 

The social and financial benefits of an increase in Healthspan are now well elucidated. Many refer to this as the Longevity Dividend.

 

The Longevity Dividend indicates the savings in costs of caring for people over an extended period of ill health and also the potential contributions of older individuals to a productive society.

 

There are also individual, family and social benefits to a deeper and longer integration of the wisdom accumulated over time to each community

In Singapore life expectancy now sits at 84 years, average among its Asian neighbours and a signinicant distance behind Monaco’s 89.5 years and beyond that what is possible in the medium and long-term.

Singapore’s relatively small population spends $6.27 billion on healthcare provision. there is currently no government R&D allocation dedicated to age related diseases.

 

This is a misallocation of resources that is based on a very outdated approach that is really ‘Sick-Care’ rather than ‘Health-Care’ and does not make the most of current scientific areas of interest, research and development

 

The business, science and societal opportunities available with a dedicated portion of the government’s annual budget to interdisciplinary research in anti-aging are immense.

 

Benefits that will alleviate suffering, reinforce healthcare and bring about the Longevity Dividend and all of its benefits.

 

A public and private moonshot style embrace of this industry of the 21st century could allow for dedicated educational, commercial and societal collaborations in research, clinical trials, age-tech and make Singapore a leader in the field.

 

To facilitate this goal, this petition requests the Singaporean Government to grant from budget 2022 onwards 5% of its expenditure to the field of Anti-Aging research under the banner of ‘Longevity Dividend Singapore’.

These funds will be used for basic research on aging, anti-aging therapies, conducting clinical trials of new developments, financing modern technologies using artificial intelligence and big data. The aim would be to join up existing educational and commercial institutions associated with the state as well as private partners and, indeed, international partnerships to best move the field forward

 

 

By signing this petition, each of us are able to make a personal contribution to our own longevity and the longevity of our loved ones, and in the next 10 years, benefit from new developments and have a chance to live a high-quality, healthy and active life for as long as possible.