Date: 4 February 2023

• SCS, in partnership with NCCS and NCIS, organises World Cancer Day Carnival on 4 February, from 9am to 4pm at Kampung Admiralty 
• The tripartite partnership aims to close the care gap in cancer awareness and the continuum of cancer care in Singapore by bringing cancer education to the heartland
  

4 February 2023, Singapore – To commemorate World Cancer Day (WCD), the Singapore Cancer Society (SCS) is joining forces with the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) and National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS) to fight cancer in the North West district by coorganising the World Cancer Day Carnival. Taking place at Kampung Admiralty on 4 February from 9am to 4pm, the event will be graced by the Mayor of North West District, Alex Yam, as the Guest-of-Honour.

The tripartite partnership for World Cancer Day is part of a long-term collaboration between the three cancer organisations to close the care gap in cancer awareness and the continuum of cancer care in Singapore. It is the second year that World Cancer Day is carrying the theme of #closethecaregap. Mr Albert Ching, Chief Executive Officer, SCS said, “We are excited to start the year by closing the care gap through partnership with NCCS and NCIS on World Cancer Day. An average of 441 people are diagnosed with cancer every day in Singapore. There is an imminent need for cancer care providers to collaborate in prevention efforts and in providing integrated care plans for patients along the spectrum of their cancer journey.”

Targeted at families and the public, the World Cancer Day Carnival will host activities and a programme line-up that aims to educate and empower visitors to learn more about cancer controls and prevention, as well as cancer support services available for patients, caregivers and their loved ones. Visitors can sign-up to attend a series of talks by cancer care experts from the three organisations, listen to inspiring personal stories of cancer survivors, tour the carnival booths featuring cancer education activities and games or break a sweat by participating in a Zumba workout alongside cancer survivors. Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) Kit, a preliminary test kit to screen for colon cancer symptoms, will be distributed at no cost to participants above 50 years of age.

On stage, special performances by SCS’ youngest Goodwill Ambassador, Glenn Yong and cancer support group members are set to entertain the audience. The morning segment of WCD Carnival will be hosted by actress and SCS Goodwill Ambassador, Bridget Fernandez, and Paul Foster, actor and SCS long-standing supporter of SCS will host in the afternoon. 

Prof William Hwang, Chief Executive Officer, NCCS, said, “Closing the cancer care gap takes concerted effort from various healthcare partners and the community at large. We hope this partnership will spark more collaborations in the future to support patients and families who are coping with cancer and generate more awareness in the community about the importance of screening and regular exercise for cancer prevention.” 

Prof Chng Wee Joo, Director, NCIS said, “As a national specialist centre marking our 15th anniversary, NCIS is committed to this collaboration to advance cancer prevention in the heartlands, which is in sync with Healthier SG. This year’s World Cancer Day Carnival brings cancer care education closer to the residents in the North West district. In tandem, NCIS will continue to work towards bringing our services closer to residents through initiatives such as NCIS On The Go. We also look forward to the new cancer rehabilitation centre that NCIS and SCS will be setting up together in the West later this year.” 

The government’s Healthier SG plan focuses on preventive care and empowering citizens to take charge of their health. With the partnerships, SCS, NCCS and NCIS are committed to supporting this by promoting cancer awareness so that more people go for screenings and adopt a healthier lifestyle to reduce cancer incidence. 

In addition to cancer education and prevention, SCS has also been partnering with the two key national centres to make cancer care more seamless and comprehensive. In Q1 2023, SCS headquarters and its flagship Cancer Rehabilitation Centre will relocate to the new NCCS building. With this co-location within NCCS, cancer patients who require financial aid, welfare, rehabilitation, or hospice support, will no longer have to travel to multiple locations for assistance; making it hassle-free and more convenient. Direct medical care from NCCS and additional assistance from SCS can be easily obtained, all under one roof. A similar concept will be seen at SCS’ upcoming centre colocated with NCIS at Jurong Medical Centre.

In 2018, SCS and NCCS inked a partnership for the adoption of genetics screening to identify potential cancer genes in high-risk and financially-challenged individuals, so they can be put on close surveillance.

Following the World Cancer Day Carnival, SCS will continue the tradition of World Cancer Day commemoration light ups. A total of 9 buildings/landmarks will be decked in orange and blue in the evening on 4 February. These buildings/landmarks are National Gallery Singapore, Vortex at Jewel Changi, orchardgateway, South Beach, Ocean Financial Centre, Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, Our Tampines Hub, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Yishun Community Hospital.

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For more information, please contact:

Camilla Adindamaulani

Manager, Corporate Affairs 

Camilla_adinda@singaporecancersociety.org.sg

97628700

About Singapore Cancer Society
Established in 1964, the Singapore Cancer Society (SCS) is a self-funded social service agency which provides care services to cancer patients in need in areas such as cancer control and prevention, patient support services, and palliative care. SCS key services include cancer screening programmes, public education, financial and welfare services, psychosocial support, rehabilitation programmes and hospice care.

For more information, please visit www.singaporecancersociety.org.sg

About National Cancer Centre Singapore
The National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) is a leading national and regional tertiary cancer centre with specialists who are experts in treating cancer. NCCS attends to the majority of cancer cases in Singapore’s public healthcare sector. In addition to offering holistic and multidisciplinary oncology care, our clinicians and scientists collaborate with local and international partners to conduct robust, cutting-edge clinical and translational research. To achieve the vision of being a global leading cancer centre, NCCS offers world class care and shares its depth of experience and expertise by training local and overseas medical professionals.

To meet growing needs, the new NCCS building with increased capacity and expanded facilities dedicated to cancer care, rehabilitation, research and education will be operational in 2023. To give patients the best treatment outcomes, NCCS will offer access to advanced and innovative treatment such as proton therapy at the new Goh Cheng Liang Proton Therapy Centre.

For more information, please visit: www.nccs.com.sg

About National University Cancer Institute, Singapore
The National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS) is a national specialist centre under the National University Health System (NUHS), and is the only public cancer centre in Singapore that treats both paediatric and adult cancers in one facility. NCIS (n-sis) offers a broad spectrum of cancer care and management from screening, diagnosis and treatment, to rehabilitation, palliative and longterm care. NCIS’s strength lies in the multi-disciplinary approach taken by our clinician-scientists and clinician-investigators to develop a comprehensive and personalised plan for each cancer patient.

NCIS cancer services span across several acute hospitals: NCIS @ National University Hospital, NCIS @ Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, NCIS @ Alexandra Hospital, and the NCIS Radiation Therapy Centre @ Tan Tock Seng Hospital. We also deliver a range of cancer services for our patients’ convenience at satellite clinics in the community, as well as in the comfort of their homes.
For more information, please visit www.ncis.com.sg