PepsiCo Pakistan launched a CSR campaign to raise awareness about Hepatitis C. In its first phase all PepsiCo employees will be tested and given key information about Hepatitis. The initiative is launched in collaboration with Ferozsons Laboratories Limited. The kickoff session held at the PepsiCo Head Office discussed messages around disease awareness and prevention, with a presentation by a leading hepatologist. After the awareness session, information about the disease was distributed, followed by on-spot screening for Hepatitis C for all associates.
Globally, Pakistan is number 2 on the list of countries most impacted with viremic HCV infections. Viral Hepatitis presents a serious public health challenge to Pakistan, with an estimated 20 million patients suffering from either Hepatitis B or C. Almost 250,000 new infections are added annually to the already inflated pool of Hepatitis C patients in Pakistan.
While commenting on the initiative, PepsiCo Pakistan’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Khurram Shah, said that this collaboration with Ferozsons on Hepatitis C awareness demonstrates the company’s commitment to the health of its employees. “We value our employees and believe that a healthy workforce can contribute more effectively to not just the company, but to society in general”, he added. “Campaigns like this will further enable PepsiCo to run a successful global company that creates long-term value for society and its stakeholders, which is the philosophy at the core of our Performance with Purpose goals for 2025.”
Osman Khalid Waheed, CEO of Ferozsons Laboratories said, “Ferozsons is a patient centric company committed to bringing world class treatments for critical diseases that are most prevalent in Pakistan. Our journey in liver disease started with bringing injectable treatments in 2006 leading up to the introduction of oral Hepatitis C anti-viral treatment which has changed the landscape of Hepatitis C globally and in Pakistan.” He appreciated PepsiCo for its leadership, and said that such partnerships within the private sector are instrumental in supplement public sector efforts towards the elimination of Hepatitis C – a goal Pakistan and other countries have committed to achieving by 2030.”
