PERIOD 2021-03 ~ 2022-12

What could a Korean pharmaceutical company do to improve healthcare access for people with disabilities in Indonesia?

From 2021 to 2022, Prain Global conducted media relations, media events, and CSR campaigns to enhance Daewoong Pharmaceutical’s corporate awareness and reputation in Indonesia.

In Indonesia, people with disabilities faced a wide range of barriers to accessing healthcare services, including medical treatment and assistive technologies. According to reported figures, 42% of Indonesians with disabilities experienced difficulties accessing medical services. In particular, people with developmental disabilities who faced communication challenges often struggled to receive appropriate treatment because they could not easily explain their symptoms to caregivers and medical professionals. Even common symptoms, such as a runny nose or stomachache, could be difficult for them to communicate accurately.

Ideas and solutions that help people with disabilities communicate their symptoms to parents and medical professionals can serve as a meaningful starting point for addressing barriers to healthcare access. Daewoong Pharmaceutical created the “Say Pain!” picture book to help people with disabilities express their symptoms through simple pictures and graphics. The book, based on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), was distributed to educational institutions for people with developmental disabilities in Indonesia.

Prain Global launched the “SAY PAIN!” campaign to promote the usefulness of AAC picture books and encourage their wider use in Indonesian homes, schools, and healthcare facilities. A total of 20 Indonesian medical and university students participated as campaign ambassadors. As part of the “Social Impactor” program, these student ambassadors produced 94 mini-documentary videos highlighting social prejudice against people with developmental disabilities and the challenges they faced in accessing healthcare. The students met directly with children with developmental disabilities, their parents, specialists, and medical professionals to share their experiences and stories.

The #SayPain! videos created by the student ambassadors recorded a total of 1 million views and generated more than 130 million impressions on social media. The campaign was also covered by eight television channels, including Indonesian state television, and attracted attention as an exemplary corporate ESG initiative. Indonesian media described “SAY PAIN!” as an initiative in which a Korean pharmaceutical company developed an effective communication tool for people with intellectual disabilities and medical professionals in Indonesia while raising public awareness of the issue.