Tal uppläst på uppdrag av H.M. Drottningen vid symposiet Singapore-Sweden Partnership: Empowering Innovation in Healthcare

On behalf of the Queen I have the privilege of delivering her speech:

It is a great honour to be here today and to address such an esteemed audience, representing researchers, government representatives and the private sector from both our countries.

This is the first state visit ever to take place between Singapore and Sweden. I would like to thank Mr President and Ms Jane Ittogi once again for their kind invitation and for the warm welcome His Majesty the King and I have received.

Today, we have gathered to explore truly important topics related to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all, by driving progress and empowering innovation in healthcare. The role of precision medicine and advances in prevention, prediction, diagnosis, and therapeutics are crucial in supporting this goal. These are areas where cooperation between Singapore and Sweden can drive meaningful progress.

Our populations are aging rapidly. In Sweden, nearly one in five is over the age of 65. Singapore is also witnessing an unprecedented demographic shift. This reflects remarkable achievements in public health and impressive medical developments, but it also poses significant challenges for our respective societies. We must ask ourselves important questions: How do we not only extend life but also improve the quality of life during those extended years? And how can we ensure that the elderly live with vitality, independence, and dignity? Additionally, how can we address and reduce the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases? Finally, how can we support healthy childhoods?

As you can hear, the challenges are many.

Improving the quality in life’s final stages was the guiding principle when I founded Silviahemmet in 1996. This foundation is dedicated to the development and improvement of dementia care and dementia care education.

As some of you may know, my mother suffered from dementia during the last years of her life. At this time, in the late 1990’s, there was little to no training available for care staff working with dementia patients. The nurses and nursing assistants who did an admirable job were mostly self-taught. The purpose then was to inspire public debate on dementia and to educate nursing staff in the specific skills required for providing dementia care that is both challenging and rewarding.

When faced with the many challenges mentioned, robust partnerships are essential for any successful endeavour. Singapore and Sweden are uniquely positioned to lead the way. We share a commitment to innovation and a reputation for excellence in healthcare. Sweden’s expertise in life sciences and Singapore’s strength in digital health and research infrastructure, complement each other. Combined, they can accelerate advancements in precision medicine – not only for an aging population but also for healthy individuals of all ages.

Singapore and Sweden have a long-standing collaboration in healthcare and life sciences, celebrated through partnerships among medical universities, university hospital exchanges, innovation agencies, and industry engagements. The desire to deepen these ties is evident from the impressive list of Swedish business leaders and representatives from Swedish universities and government agencies who are accompanying us on this visit and are present here today.

Together, we can create a future where people not only live longer but live better, empowered by the very best that science, medicine, and human ingenuity have to offer.

Thank you!