Clearer Days Ahead for Glaucoma Patients in Malaysia

Challenge

According to the World Health Organization, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Approximately 253 million people worldwide suffer from visual impairments, including 39 million who are blind.

However, the awareness of glaucoma among the Malaysian population is relatively low. Based on a survey done, 72 percent of the population is unaware of glaucoma. The COVID-19 pandemic and the imposed travel and physical restrictions by the Malaysian government have also caused a reduction in patients visiting eye clinics and receiving treatments.

There is also the public’s perception that eye diseases are rarely life-threatening, and it is acceptable to delay any treatment during the pandemic.

Approach

We provided our client with in-depth patient flow analysis and simulation by combining demographic data, disease incidence, prevalence, and competitor insights. The aim was to identify the untargeted reservoirs of potential patients in the market.

A key part of the project was to hold active engagement and partnerships with key ophthalmologists nationwide to drive awareness campaigns on glaucoma disease. A total of 23 sessions were carried out in 2021 and supported by over 40 ophthalmologists nationwide through public forums and webinars conducted on social media platforms.

We also collaborated with the Malaysian Glaucoma Society, an organization that represents ophthalmologists with subspecialty training or interest in glaucoma in Malaysia, to co-organize the World Glaucoma Week. This was a virtual event aimed at increasing glaucoma disease awareness, getting more people to attend regular eye check-ups, encourage early detection, and improve access to anti-glaucoma eye drops to control the progression of the disease.

Result

Our client recorded more than 18 percent sales growth in its ophthalmology portfolio. The Malaysian team who worked on this project also won the DKSH Healthcare Regional Brand Planning and Execution Award 2021 in the medical channel category.