Every year on April 17, World Hemophilia Day is celebrated with events held around the globe to raise awareness of hemophilia. In 2024, the World Federation of Hemophilia decided that the theme of the event this year would be “Equitable access for all: recognizing all bleeding disorders”. The goal is to ensure that all people with bleeding disorders have access to care, regardless of their type of bleeding disorder, gender, age, or where they live.

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This year, Chugai Pharma Taiwan worked with the Hemophilia Association of Taiwan to organize the “2024 Hemophilia Day—Green Light” event at the Taipei Children’s Amusement Park on April 14 in response to World Hemophilia Day, and the children from shelters run by Harmony Home Foundation Taiwan as well as children with Down Syndrome invited by the Down Syndrome Foundation ROC were asked to participate in the event together. Children with hemophilia, invited by the Hemophilia Association of Taiwan, helped to kick off the event with a drama titled The Great Battle for Coagulation. The drama not only helped the audience to understand the causes of hemophilia, but also raised awareness in those who have it and the general public so that they have the right concepts about it. Through continuous follow-ups and treatment, coagulation can be improved and strengthened, allowing people with hemophilia to live normal lives and experience all kinds of activities. At the event, children with Down Syndrome put on an ocarina performance to increase their contact with the public and give them the opportunity to perform, and the children from shelters run by Harmony Home Foundation Taiwan also learned about hemophilia and the SDGs during playtime. Furthermore, Chugai Pharma Taiwan donated books on SDGs and hemophilia to the shelters.

Chugai Pharma Taiwan Committed to Implementing SDGs for Years

In March 2024, Chugai Pharma Taiwan gave its support to a millet restoration project in the hopes of saving the endangered russet sparrow from extinction. The millet is an important food crop to the Rukai and the staple food for russet sparrows. However, in recent years, the Rukai are faced with the pressures of realistic market preferences and an aging population, so farmland that was originally devoted to millet has been converted to grow crops with high economic value, resulting in the gradual disappearance of 6-8 strains of the millet and threatening the russet sparrows and other species. The russet sparrow is an endangered species; it is a protected species in Taiwan, and it is on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In recent years, the deterioration in the quality of the farmland environment has caused habitat loss for the russet sparrow, and it is estimated that the total number of russet sparrows in Taiwan now amounts to less than 1,000. The relocation of villages in the aftermath of the August 8 Flood has further aggravated the ecological imbalance, causing serious impacts on the environment. Through the support offered by Chugai Pharma Taiwan, it is hoped that the development of local agriculture and the traditional culture of the indigenous peoples can be promoted, and public awareness be raised for environmental protection, conservation of species, and good-quality agricultural products that are local.

Takashi Okamoto, Chairman of Chugai Pharma Taiwan, stated that the company has worked with the Hemophilia Association of Taiwan every year in response to World Hemophilia Day on April 17 to let more people know about hemophilia, and that it is committed to its patient-centered mission of developing new medicines so that people with illnesses can receive better care in the course of their treatment. In addition, he conveyed the importance of SDGs for sustainable development to let the adults and children in the audience better understand the concept of sustainability and to give back to society so as to make our Earth a better place.

Chou Jui-chin, Chairman of the Hemophilia Association of Taiwan, said that he was grateful that there were so many people who cared about hemophilia and were caring for the people who have it. In recent years, the development of new medicines has been rapidly advancing. Not only are they safe and long-lasting, but the medicines that are administered as subcutaneous injections can resolve for children issues caused by long-term intravenous injections. Seeing the children healthy and smiling is the most gratifying thing for me as Chairman. When the health of people with illnesses improves, how do we let the public know that we are people who know to be grateful, and that we can do something to give back to society? I’d like to thank Chugai Pharma Taiwan for combining the promotion of SDGs with World Hemophilia Day this year to give the event a different level of significance, and I’m very thankful to all those who participated and helped out in the event.

Extracted from Yahoo News 2024-04-17 press release on Official Website