Singapore: ‘Huge’ Jump in Longevity
Recent reports highlight a significant increase in life expectancy in Singapore. In 1960, a person born in the city-state could expect to live to 65, but today, life expectancy has risen to 86—an increase of over 20 years. Singapore has now been designated as a “Blue Zone,” a term coined by National Geographic journalist Dan Buettner to describe regions where people live longer.
Citizens attribute this longevity boost to strict government policies, such as smoking bans and high alcohol duties, which have encouraged healthier lifestyles. Efforts to preserve green spaces and promote exercise through parks, beaches, and recreational areas have also contributed to improved public health. Additionally, a growing emphasis on healthier diets is recognised as another key factor in this remarkable transformation.
Spain: Free Dental Care Is on Its Way
British expats in Spain may be aware that Monica Garcia at the Spanish Ministry of Health is planning to bring dental care under the aegis of the national health in 2025, according to recent reports. Dental care will be available at doctors’ surgeries, giving you a one stop shop for your dentist as well as your GP.
Dental treatment will initially be available to children under 14, pregnant women, and people with disabilities. Subsidised care may also be an option for those on a low income, but eligibility will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. To access this new range of treatments, you must have a valid health card and be registered with the Spanish national healthcare system.
The new system will offer a broad range of treatments, including emergency care, minor surgery, extractions, biopsies, and more.
Germany: Cost of Contribution Payments to Rise
From 1st January 2025, the additional contribution payment (Zusatzbeitrag) charged by German health insurance companies increased from 1.7% to 2.5%. Rates vary by provider—for example, Techniker Krankenkasse now charges 2.56%. The Zusatzbeitrag funds additional treatments, including contraception and cancer screenings for those under 30.
Contributions for long-term care insurance (Pflegeversicherung) have also risen, now standing at 3.6% of income, with higher rates for those without children. In addition, hospital reforms are being introduced, changing clinic funding from a patient-based system to one based on the range of services offered, such as emergency and specialist treatments. This reform aims to improve care in rural areas and prioritise earlier access to specialists, which is expected to reduce long-term care costs by addressing conditions like cancer at earlier stages.
Virus Fears About HMPV
The global press has been paying a lot of attention to cases of HMPV, a viral outbreak starting in China which has, to many people, unnerving echoes of Covid-19. However, medical experts say that human metapneumovirus (HMPV) has striking dissimilarities with Covid-19: it is not a new virus, and most children around the world have already had it at least once.
Typically, the illness produces a mild upper respiratory tract virus with congestion and some flu-like symptoms, plus a cough. It can cause death, but this is unusual and generally only in people with significantly compromised immune systems. Recent outbreaks, medics say, are just the normal seasonal pattern of the virus, which tends to be strongest in winter. The WHO told the BBC that it is not currently seeing anomalous outbreak patterns.
Paul Hunter, Professor of Medicine at the University of East Anglia, says that:
“Almost every child will have at least one infection with HMPV by their fifth birthday and we can expect them to go on to have multiple reinfections throughout life…I don’t think there are currently any signs of a more serious global issue.”
Anyone concerned about HMPV should wear a mask, wash their hands regularly, and take the usual precautions against becoming ill in winter. The BBC says that “in the UK, pregnant women and adults aged 75 to 79 are advised to get the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine” against RSV, a common cause of coughs and colds, as well as the annual flu jab. If you turned 80 after 1 September 2024, you’re eligible for the RSV vaccine until 31 August 2025. Your GP surgery should contact you if you are in the UK, but check with your medical provider in your host country, as an expat.
As with Covid, these vaccinations may not prevent you from contracting a virus altogether, but they will increase your chances of not doing so and are also likely to minimise the symptoms.
Medical authorities are, however, becoming increasingly concerned about influenza A subtype H5N1, also known as bird flu. It is estimated that this illness might pose some serious problems in 2025. There have been 61 cases in the USA thus far, primarily in people who have been drinking raw milk (consuming unpasteurised milk is not recommended) or who have caught the illness from infected cattle. Although the numbers are small, there has been a significant rise from the previous year, and in humans, bird flu has a 30% mortality rate. Although this is a cross-species disease, it does not seem to spread from person to person, which hopefully will limit its reach in comparison to Covid – but a minor mutation in its genetic structure could make it much more infectious within the human population. The UK has invested in 5 million vaccines against bird flu in 2025.