Tag: Cancer Awareness

Australia – Inherited Cancers Australia, an organisation formerly known as Pink Hope, has rebranded with a new campaign in partnership with advertising agency Cocogun to promote understanding and open discussions on the risk of hereditary cancer.

The campaign, which features photographs of high-risk community members taken by Nic Walker, aligns with the organisation’s advocacy to promote life-saving conversations on family health history and break the cycle of hereditary cancer.   

”We believe that knowledge is power. It’s important that the way our brand shows up in the world reflects the intelligence, autonomy and empathy running through our DNA, and that of the community we work with. Cocogun’s strategic and creative approach, and Nic’s photography, have perfectly captured this balance,” Sarah Powell, chief executive officer of Inherited Cancers Australia, said.

“At Cocogun, we believe creativity is the most powerful force in the world – and with the Inherited Cancers Australia team – we’re using it to help them achieve their mission of breaking the cycle of inherited cancer in Australian families. It has been an honour working with a team so knowledgeable and passionate about the generational impact of inherited cancer risk,” Kirsty Reynolds, business director and copywriter of Cocogun, said.

Chris Clausen, design director of Cocogun, added, “Inherited Cancers Australia’s curved lines and organic colours draws inspiration from nature, representing the ongoing journey people who live with an inherited cancer risk face throughout their lives. The colour palette was inspired by the community, who wanted colours more representative of the diversity of its members. The bright yellow combined with photography by Nic Walker contrasts vulnerability and strength within the community, to help ‘break the cycle’.”

Inherited Cancers Australia provides scientific and evidence-based information for those at risk of cancer, aiming for early diagnoses, risk reduction, and better treatment options.

Philippines – Globe has joined the ‘Working With Cancer’ initiative, coordinated by multinational advertising and public relations agency Publicis Groupe and aims to eliminate the cancer stigma and provide more assistance to employees afflicted by cancer. 

The initiative urges corporate executives to take the lead in eradicating the stigma and uneasiness that cancer patients experience at work and in fostering a supportive environment for those who most need it. This is in line with Globe’s mission to give its workers all-encompassing support and care so they always feel safe and appreciated. 

Globe has committed to a five-point action plan, which includes understanding and implementing policies and programs to support affected employees, raising employee awareness of the commitment, fostering workplace conversations about the disease, tracking progress, and continuously learning and improving support measures. 

Renato Jiao, Globe’s chief human resource officer, emphasised the company’s emphasis on preventive measures, such as yearly physical exams for early detection and preventive care, in order to preserve the health and wellbeing of its workers. Along with launching health education and awareness initiatives, Globe is always looking for new and creative ways to meet the medical requirements of its employees. 

Nearly half of the estimated 9,000 cancer deaths in the Philippines each year are thought to be premature or avoidable, according to the government think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies in 2023. Additionally, the nation reports about 25,000 new instances of cancer annually. 

Speaking about the initiative, Ernest Cu, Globe president and CEO, said, “Globe is a highly focused entity when it comes to employee welfare. We hope to set an example for the rest of the community in terms of supporting employees in this situation. My hope is that by bringing this issue to the forefront and to public awareness, we’ll be able to raise funding and draw more attention to it.” 

He added, “Aligned with our commitment to Alagang Globe, we promise to handhold our employees throughout their entire journey with us. Our care is a constant presence, and we continuously prioritise their comprehensive well-being and growth, especially their health.” 

Meanwhile, Paolo Borromeo, AC Health president and CEO, stated, “AC Health is deeply honoured to build on our longstanding partnership with Globe, which reflects our shared commitment to elevating healthcare for their employees. Through programs like Working With Cancer, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive care and support to employees facing cancer, ensuring they receive the best possible treatment and assistance throughout their journey.” 

Lastly, Arthur Sadoun, Publicis Groupe CEO, said, “Today you are joining over 1,700 companies all over the world who are committed to build a more inclusive, more supportive workplace for all of those impacted by cancer and their families. I cannot thank you enough for joining us in this journey. We are so proud to have Globe by our side and signing the pledge is just another example of your exemplary company culture, always investing in your people and their well-being.” 

Manila, Philippines – Following their commitment to breaking the cancer stigma in the country, the Publicis Groupe has recently teamed up with Ayala Healthcare Holdings and the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) to establish a global cancer-oriented initiative. 

Called “Working with Cancer” (WWC), this project will work towards reducing the cancer stigma in the workplace through a pledge of commitment agreed upon by major corporations. This will also follow a written agreement with the concerned groups, affirming a more supportive and recovery-forward culture at work for people with cancer.

The WWC initiative is supported by some leading cancer charities and organisations such as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), MacMillan Cancer Support, and the Gustave Roussy Institute.  It is headed by Arthur Sadoun, the Global Chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe and their global clients. 

Speaking about this significant milestone, Joanne Abrihan-Ty, chief finance officer at Publicis Groupe Philippines, said, “We’re incredibly grateful to formalise our alliance with AC Health and PMAP as we move to rally the most influential companies to build the most open, supportive, and recovery-forward work cultures for employees. In a world where one in every two people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, we believe that WWC should be a movement for all businesses, big or small.”  

Ma. Elizabeth Nasol, president at PMAP also expressed her enthusiasm about the project, stating, “This cancer support initiative, born out of the collaborative effort of the founding partners, carries a profound message – that cancer should never be a personal problem.

“Through this collaboration, we pledge to encourage our member organisations to provide comprehensive support in the face of cancer – a shared challenge that ensures that those affected by it will never have a solitary journey,” she added.

Meanwhile, Paolo Borromeo, president and CEO of AC Health, commented, “We are excited about our role in helping the Working with Cancer movement grow because we recognize our responsibility and obligation, as healthcare providers and employers, to provide the best care and environment to our employees for cancer screening, treatment, and recovery. Together, we can do much to revolutionise cancer care in the workplace setting.”

Apart from this, chief digital officer at Publicis Groupe Philippines, Dave Drilon added, “With the intent of providing better cancer care in the workplace, there’s certainly a need for greater awareness and action. We must work closer with companies to ensure these programs get implemented.

“The formalization of the pledge with our founding partners AC Health and PMAP is but the first step to growing this movement in the country – something we will nurture for many years to come – and we look forward to working with more businesses and institutions in this undertaking,” he ended. 

Furthermore, several partner companies have also shown their support for the project since its announcement in January 2023.

In particular, Amrita Randhawa, CEO at Publicis Groupe Singapore and Southeast Asia, said, “The Philippines team have made an incredible effort to scale the WWC initiative such that it makes industry-wide and client-wide impact. As a team, this is what we are focused on in Southeast Asia: inviting and bringing together industry and client bodies to make sure this initiative creates scalable workforce change.”

For more information about WWC, please visit workingwithcancerpledge.com.

Singapore – The National University Cancer Institute of Singapore (NCIS) has announced the launch of NCIS Fights Cancer, a web-based mobile game developed by home-grown gamification marketing company Sqkii for cancer education and prevention.

This initiative coincides with the institute’s 15th anniversary as a national centre for cancer as well as the inauguration of “NCIS Celebrates Life,” a weekend family carnival honouring their journey in cancer care and cutting-edge translational research. 

In this free web-based game, the main rule centres around avoiding obstacles and collecting objects to obtain high scores.  One of its notable features lets players gain more attempts by taking actions like donating to the NCIS Cancer Fund or sharing a cancer-related health tip.  

As such, a player could use in-game objects with related facts like “Limit your alcohol intake to no more than two standard drinks a day – approximately two cans of beer, two glasses of wine or two measures of spirits” or “Be active and exercise for at least 30 minutes, five times a week, to maintain a healthy weight and reduce your risk of cancer.” 

Seo Si Yun, operations lead at Sqkii, took pride in this remarkable breakthrough and said, “The game is designed to help Singaporeans easily pick up and share cancer-related facts—developed together with medical professionals from NCIS—while enjoying the process itself. This collaboration marks a milestone for Sqkii in that our games can now not only entertain and drive commercial objectives; they can also drive positive and impactful societal change.” 

The particular mobile game feature stems from the institute’s mission to make cancer care more accessible to those in need by raising funds for them. 

Meanwhile, Chee Cheng Ean, adjunct associate professor and executive director at NCIS expressed their steadfast commitment to the cause, stating, “At NCIS, we are committed to delivering incredible treatment and the compassionate care every individual affected by cancer deserves. We want to empower our patients and the community to take charge of their health and we do this through robust education campaigns. Fighting cancer is a long journey, and it requires a collective effort from the community and broader society.”

Throughout the years, the NCIS Cancer Fund already helped 440 patients with close to $1.8 million since it was set up in 2016. Such initiative has long been reducing the barriers that patients face when dealing with cancer in Singapore.