Thalessaemia is the most common genetic blood disorder in Singapore and according to the National Thalassaemia Registry, about 1 in 20 Singaporeans are carriers of Thalassaemia trait. However, because being a carrier does not result in any symptoms or discernible health risks, a Thalassaemia carrier is likely to be unaware of his or her status. This poses a significant risk as, when both members of a couple have the Thalassaemia trait, there is a high chance that their child may be born with the severe form of the disorder – Thalassaemia Major – that may lead to health complications and premature death.
Supported by KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital and the National Thalassaemia Registry, the campaign sought to raise awareness about the disorder and encourage prospective parents to go for Thalassaemia screening so that they can make better family planning decisions. ‘Thala-SIMI-AH?’ combined the name of the disorder with common Hokkien phrase “simi ah?” to reflect the target audience’s general low awareness of Thalassaemia and provide a way for them to remember the disorder’s name.
Watch the light-hearted skit below to find out more about Thalassaemia.
The Highlights
The campaign was primarily conducted across online social media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook, over five months. A physical booth was also set up for 4 consecutive weekends in February at Chatuchak Night Market Singapore at The Grandstand, where project members and volunteers invited passers-by to learn more about Thalassaemia while playing fun games, as well as sign up for the free Thalassaemia screening provided by the National Thalassaemia Registry.
Online, the campaign focused on repackaging dense and technical health jargon in a light-hearted and digestible bite-size piece to improve uptake of its campaign messages. This was well-received by the public based on verbal feedback.
As for physical engagement, instead of being parked at community centers or health-centric events, the campaign’s roadshow was held at a more light-hearted, lifestyle-related venue – Chatuchak Night Market. The roadshow was held there based on feedback from focus groups to find out how the target group prefers to receive health information.
In the press, Thala-SIMI-AH? was able to garner favorable coverage from media outlets such as The New Paper, TODAY Online and CNA93.8 and gained support and recognition from various key opinion leaders and public figures, such as Mr K. Shanmugam, who is the Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law.
Watch the video below to hear from Jack, who shares with the team his experience of growing up and living with the severe form of the disorder, Thalassaemia Major.
The Memories
Reflection #1 – The Challenges
Difficulty in convincing the target audience.
The biggest challenge of the project was trying to convince the target audience about the importance of being aware about Thalassaemia and to go for Thalassaemia screening. As the condition is asymptomatic for carriers and do not pose any immediate health risks to the carriers themselves, many individuals were inclined to brush it off as something to worry about later.
No on-site screenings allowed.
The restrictions against performing a blood test in a public area and the logistical difficulties involved in transporting the blood back to the laboratory for analysis meant that the campaign had to choose between restricting the outreach engagements to the hospital premises or resorting to collecting sign-ups for Thalassaemia screening instead. The resultant tradeoff is that registered individuals could possibly change their minds over time about attending the screening and dropping out.
COVID-19 affecting campaign support.
Another significant challenge was the COVID-19 outbreak, which became serious around late January and early February. It was difficult to convince media outlets to set aside media space to cover Thala-SIMI-AH? and Singaporeans were also encouraged to stay at home, resulting in lesser crowds visiting the booth at Chatuchak Night Market Singapore. Also, the various polyclinic groups were occupied with managing the outbreak and did not have the available resources to lend their support to the campaign. As a result, the team was unable to distribute brochures in the polyclinics as intended, which would have been beneficial in achieving the campaign’s objectives of promoting Thalassaemia screening.
Reflection #2 – The Takeaways
The team chose to promote Thalassaemia awareness, as while Thalassaemia is one of the most prevalent genetic conditions in Singapore, the disorder is often neglected due to its generally asymptomatic nature. After hearing stories from those with Thalassaemia Major, the team was determined to encourage young couples to make more informed family planning decisions by becoming aware of Thalassaemia and its implications.
Thala-SIMI-AH? received messages of support and encouragement from Singaporeans who have Thalassaemia or have family members or friends with Thalassaemia, recognising the importance of the campaign. The team was also heartened to hear individuals with Thalassaemia Minor were motivated to be more vocal about sharing their condition so that more people are aware of the importance of getting screened.
The team also reflected that remaining flexible and adaptable when conducting a campaign was important and that there was no fixed way to run a health campaign. Thala-SIMI-AH? took a leap of faith and executed activities in a more lighthearted manner than usual health campaigns, such as holding its roadshow at a light-hearted couple-centric event and breaking down the jargon that usually came with such foreign disease names. The team hopes that in the future, society will see more innovative and relatable means of spreading health messages.
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