What does Screen for Life cover?
Screen for Life is Singapore's national screening programme. It covers the essentials, and it is worth knowing where it stops.
What it is
Screen for Life is Singapore's national screening programme. It offers subsidised checks to eligible residents.
It runs through polyclinics and participating GP clinics. Cost is kept low so that few are priced out.
What does it cover?
It focuses on a few common conditions where early action makes a real difference: cardiovascular risk factors, diabetes, and three cancers.
| Area | What is included |
|---|---|
| Heart and metabolic | Blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar for eligible ages |
| Cervical cancer | Pap or HPV testing on the recommended schedule |
| Breast cancer | Mammography for women in the eligible age band |
| Colorectal cancer | A stool based test, with colonoscopy if it is positive |
The exact tests and ages depend on your profile. Your doctor or the programme confirms what you are due.
Where it stops
How it works
Eligible residents pay a low subsidised fee, and some pay nothing. You attend a participating clinic for the checks.
The clinic explains your results and any follow up. If a screen is positive, you are guided to the next step.
How to use the two together
Why the gap matters
The standard screen answers the population question well. It may not answer every personal question.
Family history or your own results can raise other questions. A younger person with a strong family history is one example. So is someone whose earlier results were borderline.
The value of a baseline
A shared national baseline is worth defending. It catches common, serious conditions early, across the whole population.
Early action on blood pressure, sugar and the three cancers saves lives. That is a real public good, and if you are eligible, use it.
A note from me
PROTOCOL exists because the baseline, while valuable, is not the whole picture. That gap is a large part of why this company was built.
I would rather you did the national screen than nothing at all. Where your own history raises a question, that is where we can help. Not before, and never through fear.
Common questions
People ask whether the baseline is enough. For many, at many life stages, it genuinely is.
Others ask what more is worth doing. That depends on your age, your history and your past results, and a short conversation with a doctor settles it.
The bottom line
Screen for Life covers the essentials for most people. It is a strong place to start.
Knowing where it stops is just as useful. That is where a more personal look begins.
What we published, what we read, and the one thing worth changing. Nothing to buy.
Every number explained, by a doctor.
The Core Health Test measures 100+ markers, with a doctor to walk you through what each one means for you.
the full 100+ marker panel