SINGAPORE - Wearables brand Fitbit has clarified that it, rather than the Singapore Government, will be giving away up to a million health trackers after details of its partnership with the Health Promotion Board (HPB) were reported incorrectly by several media outlets.

In a statement issued on Friday (Aug 23), the United States-based company confirmed that it has set up a partnership with the HPB to take part in the Live Healthy SG programme, which was announced on Wednesday.

The partnership ties in with Fitbit's targeted giveaway of one million health trackers - although some media outlets took this to mean that the HPB would be giving them away.

The government agency's actual involvement is that it can access fitness data through the programme - as long as users consent to it - to provide insights and contribute to more effective health promotion programmes for Singapore.

Singaporeans must sign up for a year-long subscription to Fitbit's digital coach service Fitbit Premium in order to receive the free gadget, which normally sells for $158.

Fitbit's statement said: "In Fitbit's collaboration with the Singapore Health Promotion Board on a new population-based health initiative, Live Healthy SG, Fitbit will be the ones providing free Inspire HR trackers to participants who commit to a 12-month subscription to our Fitbit Premium service."

It added: "Reports that suggest that Fitbit had won the contract because one million Singaporeans would be participating in the programme are also inaccurate. The one million participation number is a Fitbit target, following the award of the contract to us, and it refers to Fitbit's planned reach of our Live Healthy SG programme."

Fitbit Premium, which guides users through audio coaching and video workout clips, costs $10 a month, or $120 for a 12-month subscription.

Singaporeans will be able to register for the programme from the middle of the next month, while Live Healthy SG will go live in late October.