GDM is a condition that develops during pregnancy; statistics indicate that one in five pregnant women in Singapore has GDM.

GDM entails risks for both mother and child. For babies whose mothers have GDM, they are at risk of premature delivery, excessive birth weight, being born in a complicated birth process, having low blood sugar at birth and stillbirth. For mothers, GDM increases their likelihood of contracting Type 2 diabetes in future by seven times.

The pilot programme provided structured care for women with GDM. There was enhanced care during pregnancy, where mothers were screened for GDM early, between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation. If they tested positive for GDM, there was education about GDM and systematic follow-up care for them.

After delivery, these mothers were provided with post-delivery care. They were tested for Type 2 diabetes and referred for follow-up care if the results were positive; Even if they do not have Type 2 diabetes, there was follow-up care for them.

From 2016 to 2019, the programme benefitted 4,864 pregnant women.