Singapore Heart Foundation Launches Youth Focused CPR Initiative as Cardiac Arrest Cases Continue to Rise

The Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF) has launched its first youth focused life-saving event, “Youths Got Power: Empowering Young Life Savers”, to encourage more young Singaporeans to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) skills, following the release of new statistics showing a continued rise in out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) cases across the country.

Held at Fernvale Community Club on the eve of Youth Day, the event brought together youths from secondary school uniformed groups and students from institutions of higher learning to highlight the vital role young people can play as future community first responders. Supported by the People’s Association, the event was attended by Mr Ng Chee Meng, Member of Parliament and Adviser to the Jalan Kayu SMC Grassroots Organisations.

During the event, Professor Marcus Ong Eng Hock, Director of the Prehospital and Emergency Research Center (PERC) at Duke-NUS Medical School, unveiled the latest OHCA statistics for Singapore. The number of out of hospital cardiac arrest cases increased from 3,637 in 2021 to 4,058 in 2022, reinforcing the importance of equipping more members of the public with life-saving skills.

Despite the increase in cardiac arrest cases, there has been encouraging progress in community response. Bystander CPR rates have risen significantly from just 22 percent in 2011 to 62 percent in 2022. The number of people who stepped forward to perform CPR also increased sharply, growing from 302 bystanders in 2011 to 2,515 in 2022.

SHF believes that youths represent the next generation of community first responders and can play a key role in building a heart safe nation. By learning CPR and AED skills early, they can contribute to emergency preparedness for many years while inspiring their peers to become confident and capable life savers.

One of the highlights of the event was a fireside chat featuring teenage community first responders, including 15-year-old Joshua Hiew. After learning CPR and AED skills through SHF in 2024, Joshua has responded to more than 50 cardiac emergencies through the myResponder app. He has also earned certification as a Basic Cardiac Life Support and AED instructor.

Joshua’s dedication has been recognised by the Singapore Civil Defence Force, which presented him with three awards across 2025 and 2026 for his public spiritedness and contributions to the community.

The event also marked the launch of a new two-year research initiative led by Duke-NUS Medical School. Known as the Mobile External Defibrillation Investigation for Cardiac Arrest in Singapore, or MEDICS, the study will evaluate how active community first responders use and carry a new pocket-sized AED in real world situations.

Funded by SHF and Singapore Pools, the study will recruit 1,000 active community first responders aged 21 and above who are registered on the myResponder app. The portable AED weighs just 700 grams and measures 15 centimetres by 8.6 centimetres by 5.3 centimetres while delivering up to 150 joules of electricity to help resuscitate cardiac arrest victims.

Looking ahead, SHF plans to place greater emphasis on engaging youths through CPR and AED training programmes as part of its ongoing mission to build a more heart safe Singapore. By empowering young people with life-saving knowledge and practical skills, the organisation hopes to create a stronger network of community responders who can act quickly, confidently and effectively when every second counts.