Okahara: I was surprised at the high percentage of correct answers, even though some of the questions were quite difficult. In Japan, many people tend to avoid or feel embarrassed discussing sex-related topics, but the Vietnamese students were talking openly and actively.
It was quite surprising to see that a culture has been fostered in which learning about sexual health is natural and commonplace.
Jang: The students were typical of today’s young people, and they all had smartphones.
We also attended a meeting with their parents. After a doctor explained about adolescent behavior and characteristics, comparing them to their own experiences, the discussion shifted to how best to raise awareness among children about sexual and reproductive health.
Many of the young parents were shy at first because of the sensitive nature of the topic, but as the discussion progressed, it became livelier. I was very impressed to see them actively engaged and even enjoying the conversation by the end of the session.
Daiichi Sankyo firmly believes that, as a pharmaceutical company, “improving access to healthcare” is an important mission for us. As a result, we are actively promoting various initiatives to address challenges such as capacity building and improving healthcare infrastructure in developing countries.
In this context, we launched a project in 2023 to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health services in Vietnam.
Okahara: While there were many potential projects aimed at addressing health related issues in different countries and regions, we chose this one to prevent early pregnancy and childbirth, and to protect the health of mothers and children. Another key reason for our selection was the opportunity to collaborate with the international NGO, “Save the Children,” which brings a wealth of experience and achievements.
Ms. Okahara is the primary person responsible for the project and serves as the main point of contact with NGOs. Meanwhile, Ms. Jang’s usual responsibilities focus on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) related information disclosure.
Daiichi Sankyo headquarters Sustainability Department member,
Ms. Jang
Jang: My role is to communicate our company's activities, but I have always felt strongly about the need to communicate information based on firsthand experience in the field. No matter how many innovative drugs we develop as a pharmaceutical company, they are meaningless if they don’t reach the patients who need them.
I participated in this project site visit because I wanted to see for myself the conditions in areas where access to healthcare is limited due to geographical and social factors, and where medicines do not reach patients.
Compared to other developing countries, it seems that Vietnam has relatively good access to healthcare, but there still appear to be significant disparities between urban and rural areas. In rural areas, it seems that hospitals are often under-equipped, and the practice of regularly visiting healthcare facilities has not yet become common.
Nevertheless, when I actually visited the project sites, I was encouraged to see both children and parents enthusiastically learning about sexual and reproductive health.
Although the project had just started, I was excited to see the steady progress of the planned activities and, moreover, the enthusiasm of the young people participating!
The pamphlets and other training materials are very ingeniously designed with plenty of illustrations, making them easy to understand, even for those with limited knowledge and understanding of sexuality and reproductive health. These tools and resources are available at healthcare facilities, so anyone can access them, which I believe helps spread knowledge more effectively to people.
Okahara: While the project mainly targets adolescents, we are also providing information to parents and teachers, which is having a positive impact on the entire community. “Save the Children” brings valuable experience in sex education from other countries and regions, and I believe we are effectively leveraging that know-how and expertise.
Feedback will lead to improvement.
But of course, some challenges are also identified.
Okahara: When I visited the rural areas, I was shocked to see hospitals where a limited number of doctors and nurses seemed to be handling multiple tasks, and where it seemed that appropriate drug management and handling was being inadequately implemented.
Jang: Hygiene is particularly important when it comes to sexual and reproductive health, but we noticed hygiene issues in the examination rooms and other areas. Also, there was a lack of consideration for patients’ privacy needs. I believe many challenges still need to be addressed.
During the final feedback meeting with “Save the Children”, we confirmed our commitment to addressing these issues and working towards improvements.
Jang: I think these types of initiatives don’t end after one or two tries. It’s important to continue them. I also felt that building a relationship of trust with the local people is important, as the success of these initiatives is closely connected to the local culture and history.
Okahara: One government official who participated in this visit spoke about the importance of engaging with young people.
In Vietnam’s Yên Bái province, there is a culture of living together in large families with relatives, so by communicating important facts to young people, that information gets passed to their parents and those around them. In other words, the youth can act as influencers.
We were able to confirm that by engaging with the youth, this project can continue to move forward sustainably, even after it is no longer in our hands, which was a great benefit.
Experiencing the company’s Purpose firsthand with "pride" in their hearts
It seems that Ms. Jang and Ms. Okahara experienced a shift in perspective after returning from Vietnam.
Jang: I believe my mindset has changed. In my current job, I discuss Daiichi Sankyo's Purpose from many perspectives. However, seeing the people firsthand – their facial expressions, their lives, and their expectations for our medicines – has strengthened my desire to make a real, meaningful contributions to patients around the world through both our business and my own work.
Okahara: In addition to contributing to society through our business, Daiichi Sankyo has been involved in various initiatives to address issues that cannot be solved through business activities alone. This time, by seeing firsthand the realities in areas with inadequate access to healthcare, I was once again reminded of the importance of combining both approaches.
Unexpectedly, there was one keyword that came up with both Ms. Okahara and Ms. Jang: pride.
Okahara: The reason I joined Daiichi Sankyo was because I felt that every employee I met had a great sense of pride in the company and their work, while still remaining humble. I wanted to work with people like that, and I also wanted to take pride in my own work as well.
Through this project and many other examples of social contribution, I hope more people will come to know about these efforts and feel the same sense of pride in Daiichi Sankyo's mission and work that I do.
Jang: I believe that Daiichi Sankyo has a proud history of science and technology passed down to us at the DNA level, and that our sense of pride comes from our contributions to society through a wide range of products and technologies.
Now, as Daiichi Sankyo continues to expand its global presence, I want to grow alongside the company, developing myself to contribute to its growth as a global talent.