World’s first Collaborating Centre for social prescribing, world record in Singapore

October 22, 2025

Singapore---The SingHealth Community Hospitals (SCH) in Singapore focuses on three key areas: capacity building, collaboration, and research, aiming to strengthen the evidence base and advance social prescribing globally; it was designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the World’s first Collaborating Centre for social prescribing, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.

"The world's first Collaborating Centre for Social Prescribing is the SingHealth Community Hospitals (SCH) in Singapore, designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in November 2024.

"This center focuses on three key areas: capacity building, collaboration, and research, aiming to strengthen the evidence base and advance social prescribing globally." (AI Overview)

Designation: SingHealth Community Hospitals (SCH) was appointed as the first WHO Collaborating Centre for Social Prescribing.
Appointment date: The designation became effective on November 14, 2024.
Key focus areas: Capacity building: Equipping stakeholders with knowledge and best practices, and developing international training content.
Collaboration: Supporting activities like organizing events and fostering international knowledge sharing.
Research: Conducting studies to strengthen evidence and inform policy decisions.
Goal: To support WHO in sharing knowledge about social prescribing and helping to increase competencies in social prescribing at a national level worldwide.

"Healthy ageing goes beyond merely increasing life expectancy—it focuses on empowering individuals to achieve and engage in what they value most. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines healthy ageing as 'the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well-being in older age," the World Health Organization says.

"Functional ability is influenced by an individual's intrinsic capacity, the features of their environment, and the dynamic interaction between them. Therefore, fostering supportive environments where older adults can thrive is crucial for healthy ageing.

"Social prescribing—a model connecting individuals to non-clinical community services—has emerged as a critical tool for addressing social determinants of health, loneliness, mental health, and social inclusion. In Singapore, this approach is gaining momentum, fostering a continuum of care for patients while helping them rediscover their sense of purpose and build meaningful connections through active community engagement."

"SingHealth Community Hospitals (SCH) has made history by becoming the first WHO Collaborating Centre (WHO CC) for Social Prescribing under its Office of Community Education & Engagement (OCEAN)," the World Health Organization says.

"Announced during the Asia Pacific Population Health Conference in November, this appointment reflects SCH’s groundbreaking work in integrating social prescribing into healthcare since 2019.

"Over the past five years, SCH has collaborated closely with WHO to co-develop resources for the public, including a toolkit for implementing social prescribing and WHO’s online course. These initiatives have positioned SCH as a global leader in social prescribing, enhancing the capacity of the general public as well as the health and social care workforce."

"Social prescribing reimagines healthcare by addressing not just medical issues but also social and emotional needs. SCH has trained 120 well-being coordinators, who play a pivotal role in linking patients to community resources after hospital discharge.

"This approach is supported by WHO’s Regional Action Plan on Healthy Ageing, which promotes community-based integrated care. As an affiliate of the Global Network of Age-friendly Cities and Communities,

"Singapore exemplifies how innovative approaches can foster age-friendly environments, empowering older adults to remain active and connected," the World Health Organization says.

"Community hospitals are intermediate inpatient healthcare facilities for patients requiring convalescent rehabilitative and subacute care. Depending on the patient's condition, the length of stay at the community hospital can range from a few days to a few weeks," Google says.

"The American Hospital Association defines community hospitals as “all non-federal, short-term general, and other special hospitals” and excludes hospitals not accessible to the public. Currently, the AHA notes a count of 5,262 community hospitals across the United States.

"Community health shares in the goals of the public health sector, but efforts are primarily organized around a geographical area. Another key difference is that community health focuses heavily on local government laws and policy that impact health — more so than public health."

"SingHealth Community Hospitals (SCH) has been appointed a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Social Prescribing effective 14 November 2024. As a Collaborating Centre, SCH will focus on three key areas, particularly capacity building, collaboration, and research, the Singapore Community of Practice in Social Prescribing says.

"Being the first WHO Collaborating Centre for Social Prescribing in the world, the Collaborating Centre is geared to advance social prescribing practices globally in three key areas:

1. Capacity building: To enhance awareness, knowledge and best practices in social prescribing through workshops and training, thereby equipping stakeholders who are interested in starting social prescribing in their settings.

2. Collaboration: To develop and update training content in social prescribing that can be used regionally and internationally for different audience groups, including practitioners and policymakers.

3. Research: To conduct studies to strengthen evidence sharing amongst stakeholders, support informed policy decisions and programme evaluations, and contribute to regional and global evidence building for the impact of social prescribing.

"SingHealth Community Hospitals (SCH), which in 2019 started connecting discharged patients with social and fitness activities in the community to support their health, has been appointed as a World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Social Prescribing – the first centre of its kind in the world," The Straits Times reports.

"Social prescribing is a care model where patients are connected with suitable resources in the community with the aim of addressing their social needs, such as those related to mental health.

"To support wider adoption of social prescribing nationwide, the SCH Office of Learning has worked with partners to roll out training programmes on social prescribing that cater to a wide range of professionals, including general practitioners, community care providers, social workers and volunteers, Mr Ong added."