Gilead Sciences is a global leader in the production of medications for Hepatitis B and C. These viruses are among the leading causes of death in Africa, yet they are curable. Gilead was one of the three main sponsors of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The African Storyteller was tasked with leveraging Gilead’s sponsorship of AFCON to create education and awareness about Hepatitis B and C across Africa. This involved securing endorsements from African governments and hepatitis experts in support of Gilead’s eradication strategy. One of the biggest challenges was that pharmaceutical companies are not typically sponsors of soccer tournaments. Additionally, hepatitis is not a topic that is commonly discussed, especially in the context of enjoying a major soccer event.
Countries differ in their success rates regarding the fight against hepatitis, meaning there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Moreover, many myths exist about the causes of Hepatitis B and C, as well as their treatment, and the topic is not widely covered in mainstream media.
Despite these challenges, the African Storyteller team successfully delivered the campaign, themed “Kick Virus B and C” to tie it to the soccer tournament. They briefed health ministers on the campaign and shared statistics related to hepatitis B and C in their respective countries. They advocated for health ministers to endorse the campaign and reached out to hepatitis associations in each country, requesting experts to write opinion pieces for top-tier media on how their governments can combat Hepatitis B and C.
The team partnered with leading media outlets in each country to publish advertorials and expert opinion pieces. They populated the Kick Virus B and C website with country-specific statistics. Additionally, they hosted senior editors from Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania in Egypt for the AFCON quarter-finals.
While in Egypt, they organized a media press conference with the visiting team of editors and local Egyptian media, along with Gilead’s leadership team, to discuss Gilead’s role in the fight against hepatitis. With the collaboration of media partners, they also published stories of hepatitis survivors in premier media outlets across each participating country.
