- Understanding of hepatitis B is limited in APAC, providing a significant health challenge
- A large pharma company facilitated 15 journalists to experience A Life in a Day of a person with hepatitis B to drive empathy and awareness
- Through increased understanding, the journalists are publishing articles to educate audiences
Addressing the awareness gap
Despite ongoing efforts, there is a persistent need to educate the public and healthcare professionals about hepatitis B to promote early detection and treatment, particularly in the APAC region. A pharmaceutical company sought to address this issue by organising an event aimed at increasing awareness and fostering empathy towards those affected by hepatitis B. The objective was to effectively engage a diverse group of medical journalists from various countries to increase their understanding of the condition, which would be transferred into ongoing articles they write.
An immersive educational experience
The pharma company organised a symposium in Vietnam, specifically inviting journalists from countries including Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Korea, and Vietnam. Each of the attendees was then given the opportunity to go through the A Life in a Day experience of a person living with hepatitis B, where for 24 hours they would walk in the shoes of a patient.
The journalists went about their day while attending the event, but for the duration were faced with a series of challenges, choices, and tasks to help understand the physical, psychological and social challenges of living with hepatitis B. After the experience the journalists took part in a debrief workshop collectively where they had the chance to take part in a dynamic and educational feedback session where they could all empathise and share their joint experience.
Impact and results
The impact of this initiative has permeated from the journalists through to the pharma company which enabled the experience and into the general public through their collective work. 100% of the journalists that took part agreed that the experience has increased their empathy for people living with hepatitis B. This was evident during the in-person debrief workshop whilst together in Vietnam, with 88% of them agreeing it would help them to be more effective in their roles.
One participant poignantly remarked that they would “rather die” than face the daily struggles of a hepatitis B patient, highlighting the profound impact of the experience.
Moving forward, the pharmaceutical company plans to leverage the insights and feedback from this event to refine their approach and continue raising awareness about hepatitis B. The event also paved the way for future collaborations with the journalists, to further amplify the message and drive home the importance of early detection and treatment in combating hepatitis B in the APAC region.
