Addressing a Critical Regional Need

Asia has been experiencing some of the world's fastest demographic transitions of rapidly ageing populations¹ and rising lifestyle-related diseases², with increasing prevalence of conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic disorders. This has created complex healthcare needs that require early intervention and culturally-sensitive preventive strategies.

Traditional hospital-centric models alone cannot meet these demands at scale, as communities require care that is accessible, culturally-attuned, and focused on staying well, not just treating illnesses. Preventive care delivered at the community level, where it can be most effective, remains a significant gap.

This partnership between NHG Health and DFI Retail Group recognises these regional realities and brings clinical expertise into everyday community touchpoints—supporting preventive health and general well-being and enabling successful ageing in place.

Under this partnership, NHG Health will provide clinical expertise, research capabilities and public health experience. This includes providing clinical and scientific guidance on unmet clinical needs, supporting clinical research and health studies, and driving public education on preventive health and early intervention. DFI Retail Group will contribute retail expertise, customer insights, and omnichannel distribution across its Guardian and Mannings stores to ensure wide accessibility of these solutions. Beyond physical retail distribution, DFI will also support with customer engagement and education, marketing and e-commerce capabilities.

This partnership underscores the importance of public-private collaboration in shaping the future of healthcare, with Singapore as a launchpad for impact across Asia. By combining clinical depth and trusted infrastructure of the public sector with the innovation, scale and reach of the private sector, this partnership will support new pathways to preventive care and health ownership in a strategic and sustainable way for consumers in Singapore and across Asia.