Turning Awareness into Action: Charting a Course for a Healthier Future - MVS Murthy

Federal Bank Hormis Memorial Foundation, News 18 Network, and Tata Trusts, all three organisations renowned for their dedication to meaningful and impactful initiatives, have launched a new initiative, ‘Sanjeevani- United against Cancer’. ‘Sanjeevani’ mission is to build awareness, encourage screening and testing for Cancer as well as will provide financial relief to patients and their families by subsidising various aspects of its treatment.
In an interview with Adgully, M V S Murthy, Chief Marketing Officer, Federal Bank, shares about the new initiative ‘Sanjeevani-United against Cancer’ as well as about the partnership with Network18, to turn it into reality.

Can you start by giving us an overview of the 'Sanjeevani - United against cancer' campaign? What are its primary goals and objectives?

Sanjeevani is a clarion call to all of us to be our own life and living champion. While we go about living, life can get an unexpected cloud burst when Cancer is detected. The reality is that it could be lurking and needs to be picked up at the earliest possible instance. There is one simple goal of Sanjeevani - to get as many of us to add Cancer Screening as a part of our annual health check-ups. Easier said than done because a lot of us also miss our annual date with wellness aka the health check-up which tells us if we are in harmony with our physical health.

What inspired Federal Bank to collaborate with Network18 on this initiative? 

Federal Bank and Network18 go a long way when it comes to collaborating with large impactful causes. Sanjeevani Covid Vaccination Drive was a very successful initiative, where across 5 regions of India we provided vaccination to 2.5 Lacs citizens of our Country. And Sanjeevani United Against Cancer is the deep belief of both our organisations, to be able to build a solid partnership along with Tata Trusts as experts in cancer care, that digs its heel in and patiently keeps working till each one of us screens for Cancer, annually. A mission of this stature requires a massive outreach and a deep desire to help improve the possibilities of life through early detection. There is a collective passion between members of all three organisations to do all that they can to see long living happy families.

How is the campaign designed to promote early detection, and what resources or tools will it provide to people to get themselves screened? 

A large part of the effort is to build awareness from remote pin-codes, to villages, to large towns, to metros, to state capitals, across the nation and hopefully the program does well enough to capture the imagination of the world. The trail of this journey is important as it clearly tells you that when it comes to Cancer, more is less.  

Sanjeevani United Against Cancer stands as a testament of three collaborating partners coming together to champion the cause of Early Detection of Cancer. Federal Bank and   Network 18with Tata Trusts as a knowledge partner, are using research based consumer insights for behaviour change and prioritizing health for India at large through compelling storytelling, amplification, and activation efforts. Our focus lies in spreading awareness across diverse demographics through various communication channels by bringing together influential voices from the Government, the Indian business sector, and the Medical Fraternity.

The Sanjeevani website mirrors the remarkable progress achieved through the mission 'United Against Cancer,' which aims to become one of the key sources of information on cancer in India. Through the website and content created across social channels, we encourage conscious self-testing as a good health management practice.

Could you share some insights into the strategies and methods that 'Sanjeevani' employs to combat the pervasive fears associated with cancer? 

Cancer is not a shadow that spooks you. It’s like Voldemort that gains strength from our fear, becoming seemingly insurmountable with collective fear. He who shall not be named is always lurking in the dark. Our goal is for each of us to accept the potential outcomes of an annual health check-up. The silver lining lies in the fact that early detection significantly enhances our ability to rejuvenate and resume a fulfilling life.

Even at the risk of oversharing, we will need to work on mass outreach platforms, use different templates – even street plays for that matter, the reach of the entire Network18 channel stack, their anchors, etc. Every incremental unit of mass communication will make the desire to annually screen gradually seep into our minds.

We need to understand that the only way to beat cancer is through early detection for which ‘screening’ is the only option.

How does the campaign plan to provide support and guidance to individuals and families dealing with this disease?

We have a battery of experts dedicated to providing the right knowledge, driving awareness, and explaining the implications of the various variants and stages of Cancer. Their focus extends to guiding individuals on coping strategies and staying inspired throughout their journey to combat cancer.  

The primary focus of the campaign is to emphasize early detection through screening and connect individuals to valuable resources and centers dedicated to addressing the disease, if detected. The stories of survivors, who share their tales of hard-earned success, serve as a powerful source of encouragement. These narratives are featured on our Heros of Hope series, aiming to inspire others to find hope and also drive home the merits of early detection. 

Looking forward, what are the Federal Bank Hormis Memorial Foundation's long-term objectives in the fight against cancer, and what metrics will be employed to gauge the impact of these initiatives?

We are soliciting assistance from various industry bodies, the health care industry – including the labs that test, to put together a tracker that counts the growing instances of early and regular testing. So, increase in number of people testing is testimony to Sanjeevani’s ability to raise collective consciousness. The number of people we are able to reach out to over the next few years will drive the earlier parameter.

The Team at Federal Bank does hope that along with Tata Trusts and Network18, Sanjeevani will capture the attention of many of us in this country and abroad, much like our covid vaccination effort and enable many more survivors through early detection.