Under Goal 3, The Mis[s]Diagnosed campaign addresses the urgent need to combat cardiovascular diseases, which are a leading cause of death worldwide - especially in women. By raising awareness about the gender data gap in medical research and the unique symptoms of heart attacks in women, the project aims to improve healthcare outcomes and reduce mortality rates, thus promoting good health and well-being.

This campaign was especially important for the region, as from our research we know that since the 1990s there’s not been enough news to raise awareness of the misdiagnosis of women’s heart attacks here. We also had to overcome other hurdles as it can be difficult to get approvals from health authorities in certain countries in the MENA region prior to launching consumer awareness campaigns. Strict guidelines are in place to ensure communications do not instil fear or lean on negative connotations of a disease. So we carefully tailored our campaign not to overstep the mark but still give it enough power to change behaviour, raise awareness and shift the medical gender data bias.

This campaign perfectly aligns with Organon's brand objective of "Being here for her health", by demonstrating a tangible commitment to improving women's health. By raising awareness about the often-overlooked signs of female heart attacks and addressing the gender data gap in medical research, Organon amplifies its dedication to prioritising women's health needs and advocating for gender equality in healthcare. Furthermore, by educating women and healthcare professionals about the symptoms of heart attacks in women and promoting early detection and treatment, the campaign aims to reduce the prevalence and mortality rates of cardiovascular diseases among women, thus advancing the goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all women. This campaign not only reinforces Organon's brand as being a champion for women's health but also underscores its broader commitment to contributing to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals by addressing critical health challenges and promoting gender equality and partnership for sustainable development.

Situation - Cardiovascular diseases are the cause for 1 in every 3 deaths in women globally. This is largely due to decades of medical bias where women had been excluded from clinical trials. This has left a twenty year medical gender data gap that is putting millions of women’s lives at risk, because women experience heart attacks much differently to men.

Brief - To get to the heart of the matter and raise awareness of the severity of this problem in an impactful and innovative way.

Objectives - To expose and help close the medical gender data gap by spreading mass awareness of the issue and the lesser known signs of women's heart attacks. Then additionally to encourage women in the region to share their data for clinical trials that will help in cardiovascular research and save their futures.

Culturally, the Gulf region is known for its traditional values which often shape perceptions and behaviours regarding healthcare. Women's health issues, particularly cardiovascular diseases, may not receive the same attention as other health concerns due to cultural taboos surrounding discussions about women's health and bodily functions. This campaign challenges cultural barriers by bringing attention to a critical health issue affecting women.

Socially, the campaign addresses gender disparities in healthcare, which are prevalent not only in the Gulf region but globally. By highlighting the unique symptoms of heart attacks in women and advocating for gender-inclusive healthcare, the campaign promotes social equity and empowerment.

Politically, the campaign intersects with broader discussions about public health policies and initiatives in the Gulf region. Governments and healthcare authorities are increasingly recognising the importance of addressing non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, as part of their public health agendas. This campaign adds momentum to such efforts.

Gender inequality has created a worrying lack of awareness about women’s cardiovascular health in the Gulf region - so we sent one Arabic woman, AKA 'Mis[s]diagnosed' to help prove this issue. We got her to meet pharmacists, home call-out nurses, medical professionals, doctors, ER emergency professionals and cardiovascular specialists, across the Gulf region, exhibiting the lesser know signs of women's heart attacks. Worryingly 83% failed to spot the signs. Once we had proved the lack of awareness was rife, we delivered a life saving jolt to medical professionals across the region. We packaged Mis[s]diagnosed’s research inside specially designed medical Awareness Aid Kits. These kits were sent to key Arabic women of influence, doctors, cardiologists and health care professionals throughout the region who then spread the Mis[s]diagnosed story to millions more and call for more women to sign up for clinical trials.

Target Audience: Arab women, cardiovascular professionals and HCP's in the Gulf region.

Approach:

Phase 1- Via an online poll we asked 4000 Arabic women if they knew the signs of a woman's heart attack – 97.4% didn't.

Phase 2-We sent one woman under-cover to meet medical professionals across the region; exhibiting the lesser known signs of female heart attacks - 83% missed her signs.

Phase 3-We packaged this data and her story inside specially designed 'Awareness Aid kits' to expose this worrying statistics.

Phase 4-Sent the kits to Arabic women of influence, and 100’s of HCP's across the region urging them to share the signs.

Phase 5-Fully integrated awareness campaign through influencers, shared our message to #KnowTheSigns, in addition to social media placements, on-ground HCP events & seminars at teaching hospitals.

Phase 6-Working with 100’s of companies to encourage women to give us the data to protect their futures.

We sent one Arab woman aka 'Mis[s]diagnosed' under-cover to medical professionals across the region; exhibiting the lesser known signs of women's heart attacks, documenting her journey of misdiagnosis using hidden audio and pinhole cameras. We packaged this story inside specially designed 'Awareness Aid Kits'. And sent these kits to 37 Arab women of influence, 100’s of doctors, cardiologists and HCP’s across the region. Once unboxed, they could listen to Mi[s]diagnosed tell her story and learn about the lesser known signs of women's heart attacks.

They were then encouraged to share her story and spread mass awareness of the lesser known signs to further expose and help close the medical gender data gap. The campaign aired on 29 Sept (World Heart Day) through influencers sharing our message, social media placements, on-ground HCP events & seminars at teaching hospitals. The campaign ran until Jan 16th in Egypt, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi, Lebanon, Bahrain.

Campaigned for free:

3 Teaching hospitals

12 International Heart Foundations/charities

37 Women of influence

100’s of doctors, medical professionals & cardiologists

Campaign reach:

28.7 million now #KnowTheSigns

Campaign impact:

28 million more women are now aware of the early warning signs in the region.

+24% Increase in social engagement for Organon

+17% more women - Showed interest in clinical trails (during the month of the campaign)

1 woman’s life saved - Millions more to go #KnowTheSigns

Campaign cost:

$60,000 dollars

To further combat the gender data gap and address the misrepresentation of women in clinical trials, Mis[s]diagnosed's story is helping Pharma and healthcare companies diversify their clinical trials and ensure more inclusive treatment innovations via via IPG Health's 'Trial for the #ClinicalEquality Initiative'.

While there has been global coverage about the issue that women present very different heart attack symptoms than men, very little is being done about solving the issue. News stories can only do so much. This campaign's purpose was to not only raise the issue and drive mass awareness of the atypical signs of female heart attacks, but also to get more women to sign up to clinical trials. More female clinical data will help inform the wider medical profession and thus stop the misdiagnosis from happening so often. Saving countless female lives in the process. Moving forward Organon will be promoting this campaign and the need for more diverse clinical trials with further conversations around the issue this year - the campaign is not stopping here. And working with IPG Health's 'Trial for #ClinicalEquailty' Initiative we hope to produce follow up campaigns around the need for diverse clinical trials.

While the Carbon Emissions were not measured for this piece of work we endeavoured to try and be as sustainable as possible. Our Awareness Aid Kits, while they may look like they're plastic, were actually made from recycled wood. Rather than using unsustainable products like foam or polystyrene for the interior of the box to hold our stethoscope and audio device in place, we used recycled paper. Our brochure was also made from recycled paper.