Temasek Foundation launches S$100m endowment fund to advance maternal and child health

SINGAPORE — A new S$100 million endowment that aims to advance maternal and child health in Singapore was launched by Temasek Foundation on Monday (June 5).

The fund will support programmes that provide antenatal and postnatal care, as well as those that develop children’s health and well-being, said Temasek Foundation in a press release.

The endowment fund is named in honour of the former chairman of the Public Transport Council and chief district judge Richard Magnus, who died in March last year.

Mr Magnus was also the founding chairman of Temasek Cares (now Temasek Foundation Cares) and former deputy chairman of Temasek Foundation.

Under his leadership, Temasek Foundation supported programmes for new care models which were adopted by the government or other relevant sectors.

This includes a pilot model by Temasek Foundation, KKH, and SingHealth Polyclinics at Punggol Polyclinic that integrates care within the community for mothers and their children in areas such as nutrition, development, and parenting.

Launched in 2019, the Integrated Maternal and Child Wellness Hub at Punggol Polyclinic has carried out over 14,000 free screenings such as child development and maternal emotional health during its two-year pilot programme.

It will be expanded to three other SingHealth polyclinics in Bedok, Tampines, and Sengkang.

The model is also being incorporated under a pilot integrated family support programme called Family Nexus, co-led by the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social and Family Development.

Announced in March last year, the programme allows families to access varied services at a one-stop community node, reducing the need for them to visit multiple sites for different services.

Family Nexus is being piloted at four sites in Choa Chu Kang, Sembawang, Punggol, and Tampines. CNA