Bayer Pakistan’s Consumer Health division held an MoU signing ceremony and “Train the Trainer” session in Karachi, marking the launch of EmpowHer – an important new partnership with Greenstar Social Marketing to improve diagnosis and prevention of intimate health issues among women in low-income communities.
The initiative aims to tackle a persisting challenge in women’s health in Pakistan: limited health-care access, along with prevalent social taboos that hinder open discussion of intimate health topics leads to the unnecessary suffering of millions of women.
In Pakistan, 82 million women aged 15+ may suffer from various intimate health issues. 75% of sexually active women may suffer from at least one episode of Vaginal Yeast Infection (VYI). VYI is one of the most common health problems that could affect as many as 3 out of 4 women at some point in their lifetime.
Left undiagnosed and untreated, VYI and related conditions can cause tremendous suffering, and can lead to other complications.
“If we are serious about improving women’s health overall in Pakistan, we must address commonly overlooked conditions such as vaginal yeast infections and ensure there are mechanisms in place to treat them effectively,” said Dr. Mohamed Galal, Vice President, Consumer Health of Bayer Middle East, “As a global leader in healthcare, one of Bayer’s targets is to be supporting 100 million people in underserved communities each year with self-care. We seek to do this in a variety of ways, including through the availability of appropriate products and education. “
Dr. Galal went on to add, “The EmpowHer program aims to contribute to this goal by training and empowering Lady Health Visitors and other healthcare providers who serve women from lower-income communities. Through them, we hope to reach approximately 10 million women with the awareness to better manage their own health. We are delighted to have on board with us in this effort, a well-known and trusted name in women’s health, Greenstar.”
“For our part, Greenstar is very pleased to partner on this project with a reputable multinational leader in healthcare such as Bayer,” said CEO of GSM, Dr. Syed Aziz Ur Rab, “Greenstar’s focus has remained on reducing morbidity and mortality of mothers and children in Pakistan by providing family planning and family health solutions. This also includes working on issues related to personal hygiene, nutrition, and communicable and non-communicable diseases.”
The MoU signing and training session today marks the beginning of a longer-running program that will be rolled out in stages to encourage effective adoption of the training provided.
As a leading Life Science company, Bayer is committed to providing innovative solutions for healthcare and well-being. The company has been a major player in healthcare and agriculture in Pakistan for the last 60 years, demonstrating a commitment to creating greater value for customers, stakeholders, and society, and continues to operate its Crop Science, Pharmaceuticals and Consumer Health businesses in Pakistan in line with Bayer’s global vision, Health for All, Hunger for None.
