23 November 2023, Ratingen - When we talk about health, we inevitably end up touching the issues of parity, accessibility and equality. It is then that the stories of those women who work in daily contact with illnesses, with their full commitment, passion, sensitivity and competence, emerge. Fujifilm wants to give them voice in the new "Healthcare Issue" of the "Women4Women" magazine.
There are tales, experiences, life stories of more than 20 women from all over the world who have put the care of people and society at the centre of their action, at 360 degrees, from the devices used for x-rays, endoscopies and mammograms to values that fulfil medical practice, such as prevention and awareness. The words of those involved in the fight against diseases such as tuberculosis and breast cancer are also echoed, as well as of those who are on the front line, in offering humanitarian aid in territories that are damaged by conflicts and inequalities.
Especially when we talk about inequality, health is still one of the sectors that suffers it most: according to the report "The State of Women and Leadership in Global Health" published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2023, the Global Health Workforce Network and Women in Global Health, 70% of frontline healthcare workers are women, but only 25% of these are in leadership roles. The female presence in healthcare provides assistance to around 5 billion people, but they still are excessively confined to “gender” branches (such as nursing and midwifery).
Therefore there are still many barriers and gaps to overcome, even more when we think that health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being. The WHO estimates that half of the world's population does not have access to essential health services and approximately 100 million people are forced to survive on less than two dollars a day (around €1.86), having to pay for healthcare services. Subsequently, the need to make this sector more fair, accessible and functional, also because it influences and weighs on public and private finances: almost 12% of the world population spends at least 10% of the family budget on healthcare expenses for oneself, for a child or for another family member.
“We cannot think of a global health system that goes on and corrects its route autonomously: faced with the 40 million new jobs that will be necessary in the health sector by 2030, the talents and ideas of female human capital are resources to be safeguarded, enhanced and promoted.”, says Luana Porfido, European Head of Corporate Communication and ESG Management FUJIFILM Europe GmbH. “From the experiences of this Women4Women seventh issue rise courage, creativity, vision and competence. Today more than ever we need these women outside the mainstream to improve the experience of care, to innovate processes and solutions, in a word to inspire everyone's well-being with their stories".
For example, we listen to the voice of Janine Fuochi Huguenin who created the Close The Care Gap awareness campaign for the World Cancer Day, promoted by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and supported by the WHO: the aim is to interpret next February 4, 2024 as a reminder for everyone to raise awareness and take care of themselves, regardless of nationality, religion, skin colour, language, sex and income. Alongside her we find Dr. Med. Martina Scheufler, founder and head of the humanitarian project Medizinhilfe Karpato-Ukraine, on the front line. Born in 1996 to improve medical assistance in an area of western Ukraine, she had to deal with the recent invasion of the territory which brought to light how much "from a medical point of view these people are suffering from feelings of insecurity, as well as from the short and long term impact of the very real food shortages and economic hardships". Among the external contributors we also find that of the Japanese photographer Yuriko Nakao, whose shots were chosen for this special issue of the magazine and were exhibited in the 'Sense of Wonder' exhibition inaugurated on the magazine launch occasion. Her vocation, which interprets photography as a form of healing able to spread a renewed light on the world and things, is linked to the stories of Leni Trindade and Anna-Marie Sahlmann, who put their creativity at the service of the care and the joy of living of the patients. Both specialized in body art and with family histories marked by the disease, they work to make those women who fight against breast cancer and other physical injuries feel comfortable, helping to re-establish that fundamental link between the body and soul of each person. Also original, fresh and innovative are the voices of Savan and Marlein, two Dutch students who created Chica Chocolate, a special dessert that helps relieve menstrual pain thanks to the addition of magnesium, copper, vitamin B6 and cannabidiol.
Among the witnesses of Fujifilm's daily commitment to improving the quality of medical care, we find Costanza Sacco, Clinical Marketing Specialist of FUJIFILM Italia SpA, who for six years has worked in synergy with colleagues of the other medical Business Units with the aim to promote a One-Stop Solution "package", which offers a portfolio of diagnostic products and services to satisfy different clinical needs and support the patient from diagnosis to pathology treatment.
Her mission is also shared by Lollyta Adella, Application Specialist PT FUJIFILM Indonesia, a country where breast cancer cases are increasing due to a lack of resources and prevention: for this reason, in 2018, 21 mammography machines were installed in various provinces, and she personally manages the training of operators on site. She tells us that in February 2023, in collaboration with a hospital in the city of Tangerang, a free screening program was launched thanks to a new mammography machine equipped with ComfortComp technology, which increases patient comfort by reducing compression. 40 women joined the program and 80% of them received a cancer diagnosis, despite some being asymptomatic. Also rich of talent are the stories of Tomoko Yokoyama, director of the Fujifilm endoscopic clinic in Nishi-Azabu in Japan, a structure which, with the help of an all-female team, uses the most advanced AI technologies to fight colorectal cancer, and that of Ritu Kapoor, Marketing Manager Medical Division FUJIFILM India Pvt. Ltd., who tells us about the battle against tuberculosis, also carried out through the TB Screening Van campaign, conducted in collaboration with the National TB Elimination Programme, able to offer a diagnosis "door to door” thanks to digital and mobile AI tools.
Read the new issue of W4W and the past ones: Women4Women
Women4Women n. 7 “Healthcare Issue” November 2023
Women4Women n. 6 “Food Issue” February 2023
Women4Women n. 5 “Solidarity Issue” November 2022 (internal diffusion within the company)
Women4Women n. 4 “Green Issue” January 2022
Women4Women n. 3 “Powerful Women” July 2021
Women4Women n. 2 “Women in Science” February 2021
Women4Women n. 1 “Take Care of Yourself” October 2020
For further information:
Luana Porfido
European Head of Corporate Communication and ESG Management FUJIFILM Europe GmbH
E: luana.porfido@fujifilm.com