PM Lawrence Wong at the Launch of the Communicable Diseases Agency (Nov 2025)

My Cabinet Colleagues
Coordinating Minister Ong Ye Kung
Minister of State Rahayu Mahzam
Staff and partners of the CDA
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

When I came into the building just now, I could not help but feel a great sense of déjà vu, because greeting me was Kenneth Mak, Vernon, and then, Ong Ye Kung. And I thought to myself, this looks familiar. We are back together again! But in any case, I am delighted to join all of you this morning to launch the Communicable Diseases Agency.

Today marks an important milestone for the healthcare family, and a major step forward in strengthening Singapore’s readiness to tackle a future pandemic. 

The last pandemic we faced – Covid-19 – was the crisis of our generation. It tested us in ways we had never planned for. It was not only a public health emergency, but also challenged our social cohesion, and brought our economy to a standstill.

As much as we want to put those painful memories behind us, the sobering reality is that: Covid will not be our last pandemic. New diseases will continue to emerge, as viruses spill over from animals to humans. And in our interconnected and fast-moving world, they can cross borders as quickly as people can. Vernon said just now that there is a two percent chance that you will face a covid-like pandemic in any given year. I do not know how you feel about that figure. For some people, two percent may seem like a small risk. If you work the math, you will say two percent means once every 50 years, since we have had Covid recently, I will wait till another 50 years before the next pandemic strikes. But probabilities do not work like that. That is just an average. I think we will have to be prepared that pandemics will occur at an increasing frequency – and the next one may come sooner than we expect.

So, we must ask ourselves, with urgency: how can Singapore be better prepared?

Journey of Continuous Improvement

And, our answer lies in a journey of constant learning and improvement – it is a journey that has served us well over the decades.

More than 20 years ago, the SARS outbreak in 2003 marked a turning point. It showed us the need for a dedicated, modern healthcare facility that could handle highly infectious diseases. And beyond that, an institution that could serve as the national focal point for infectious disease training and research.

From that experience came the National Centre for Infectious Diseases – or NCID – which became fully operational in 2019. Little did we know how timely that would be. It literally came just before Covid struck. And NCID proved to be critical in our fight against Covid. We learnt from SARS, invested in new capabilities, and those investments paid off.

After Covid, we again undertook a thorough after-action review – to learn what worked, what did not, and how we can do better. This culminated in a White Paper, which we presented in Parliament. It documented our lessons and recommendations for a stronger, and more resilient Singapore.

And Covid taught us many lessons. We developed new capabilities: in disease surveillance and data analytics; resource management and forward planning; vaccine logistics and supply chain operations. Unlike SARS, Covid was a prolonged pandemic. It demanded a comprehensive and integrated response – across healthcare, border control, economic support, and social and education services. We had to work with business and community groups, and to get everyone on board in following the SMMs. You probably would have forgotten what SMMs meant, or what the acronym means - safe management measures.

We have taken on board these lessons to improve our processes and systems. But we also know that we cannot simply copy the same playbook and end up fighting the last war because with every new emerging disease, there will be new challenges. Every new disease will be different, with its own characteristics, challenges and unknowns. Every new outbreak begins in a fog of uncertainty. So even as we enhance our defences, we must be nimble, ready to learn, adapt and adjust our measures quickly and decisively.

And that is where CDA comes in. CDA brings together expertise and functions that used to reside in different organisations – MOH, NCID, and the Health Promotion Board. By combining medical, policy and operational functions under one roof, the CDA will enhance collaboration, knowledge sharing and capability development.

The CDA will complement our existing capabilities by focusing, as you heard from Vernon just now on the early detection of threats, drive integration and coordination by refining our preparedness strategies, and make sure these plans can translate into tangible actions.

You have heard some of the key areas of work for the CDA. They will have several key tasks ahead of them. Let me just highlight three key areas that the CDA will work on.

First, the CDA will have to focus on deepening our international cooperation. Pandemics do not respect borders, and our efforts must be equally borderless. During the height of Covid, the world saw unprecedented collaboration. For example, we had platforms like the WHO (World Health Organisation) Pandemic Hub to strengthen global preparedness and response. Unfortunately, that momentum has slowed. Memories of Covid are fading, and support for multilateralism, more generally in today’s fractured and contested world is weakening. Support for multilateralism in global health is also fragmenting. The reality is that this would just leave the world less prepared for the next pandemic. It is unfortunate that these are the trends we face today, but at the same time Singapore is not helpless. We do not have to be passive bystanders. And that is why the CDA must re-double its efforts, work with like-minded partners, and there are many like-minded partners around the world – to strengthen cooperation on disease surveillance, intelligence sharing, and R&D in areas like vaccines.

Second, the CDA will take the lead to refresh and update our national pandemic plans. Pandemic preparedness is like taking out an insurance policy against future crises. But insurance comes at a cost, and all of us grapple with this. In good times, often people will say why we are spending so much on insurance – it is so expensive. What a waste of money. But when the crisis comes – everyone says why did we not buy enough insurance? That is always a human tendency. How do we strike the balance? There are no easy answers. The CDA must find a careful balance between preparedness and sustainability of resources. But one of the keys in answering this question is recognising that the balance is not static. It is a dynamic one. And that means we have to stay alert to emerging risks, and when we see threats building up, we are able to ramp up our buffers and defences. And so to do this work well, the CDA must work closely with its partners to continually review our stockpiles, our surge capacities and our capabilities – to ensure they remain both effective and sustainable. And when we need to, we can ramp them up quickly and effectively. And beyond plans on paper, the CDA and its partners will also have to keep our systems warm, through regular exercises and simulations.

Third, the CDA will build and sustain public trust.

This is the single most important ingredient in any pandemic response. Without it, the best laid plans, the most advanced technology, even the best vaccines, will not be effective. When people trust that the authorities are communicating truthfully and transparently, they will rally behind public health measures. Conversely, when there is no trust, misinformation spreads and there is no unified response. So, the CDA must be a trusted and authoritative source of accurate, clear and timely information – to help Singaporeans stay safe and be informed.

Beyond pandemics, the CDA will also play an essential role in strengthening our resilience against endemic diseases that we constantly face. It will tackle important topics such as slowing the development of drug-resistant germs, improving infection prevention and control, and advancing scientific research to protect public health.

People Matters

The CDA has an ambitious and important mission. I am confident that it has the right people to carry it out. The leaders of our Covid efforts are leading the CDA.

Vernon, CDA’s CEO, brings deep experience. He played key roles in managing SARS, the 2009 influenza pandemic, and the 2016 Zika outbreak. He was the Director of Communicable Diseases at MOH during Covid, and his experience and expertise proved invaluable support when Ye Kung and I co-chaired the Covid Multi-Ministry Taskforce.

Kenneth is Chairman of the Board of CDA. He became Director of Medical Services shortly before Covid hit and had to hit the ground running. His steady and calm leadership, and his ability to explain complex health issues clearly, were crucial to building public confidence and trust throughout the pandemic.

So with such capable leadership, the CDA is in excellent hands.

But it is not just about the leadership, because ultimately, what makes the difference are our people across the board, dedicated professionals and public officers who serve with purpose and pride.

During Covid, I witnessed first-hand this indomitable spirit and commitment of our public officers – many of whom are here today. They stepped up with courage and worked tirelessly, putting the nation’s needs above themselves. Our CDA officers embody this spirit and are the key line of defence in protecting Singapore. The agency must therefore support them, our people, and continue to invest in their development and well-being.

Let me share one example. Georgina Lim began her career in MOH’s Communicable Diseases Division, managing food-borne disease outbreaks. She later helped to plan the public health functions of NCID as it was being set up.

When Covid struck, she served in the critical areas of frontline contact tracing and strengthened the responses to the outbreak in the migrant worker dormitories.

At CDA, she and her team refreshed our national pandemic readiness plans. , And today, she is on secondment to the WHO, helping to strengthen global public health capacity and advance preparedness measures internationally.

Her journey – marked by professionalism, resilience and a deep sense of service – embodies the best of our public officers. And I am confident that with this same sense of purpose and resilience amongst all our CDA officers, Singapore will be well prepared for whatever challenges that lie ahead.

Importance of Partnerships

We have a good public service, but even so, the CDA and the Government cannot fight the next pandemic alone.

Covid showed us that pandemics are not just public health issues – they can significantly impact our economy, our society, and the daily lives of every Singaporean.

It took every sector of society to fight Covid. Healthcare professionals on the frontlines. Public officials implementing border controls and safe management measures. Enterprises implementing business continuity plans, pivoting their operations, and keeping workplaces safe. And community groups mobilising volunteers to care for the elderly and vulnerable.

Many of these partners are here today. Some of you are seated here. Thank you for your collaboration, thank you for your partnership and for walking this journey together.  

When the next crisis comes, and it will come when the next pandemic strikes, the Government cannot act alone. We will once again need the full support and participation of every Singaporean – to stay vigilant, to act responsibly and to stand together. Only by working together — as one united Singapore — can we overcome the next pandemic.

Conclusion

Today’s launch of the CDA builds on the strong foundations laid over decades. It represents a bold step forward – a clear statement of our commitment and resolve to safeguard Singapore from the ever-present threat of infectious diseases.

My heartfelt congratulations to everyone who has contributed to this journey. Your hard work and dedication have brought us here. And I wish the CDA, and all its officers, every success in carrying out your important mission. Thank you very much!