330.5: Features and impact of 3-years ‘More To Give’ campaign to promote deceased organ donation by a private healthcare provider in India.

Abstract

Background: Organ donation rate (ODR) in India is low at 0.86 PMP. Need was felt for sustained countrywide campaign to promote organ donation (OD). Methods: Fortis Healthcare Limited, Asia’s largest network of hospitals, launched the campaign in July 2016. Disabled war veterans and sports personalities, inspired the ‘More To Give’ campaign. Number of celebrities endorsing the campaign in the 3 years was 10, 30 and 40. An OD anthem prepared by Bollywood celebrities was released in Hindi. Donor and recipient stories, panel discussions with experts and religious leaders were televised thrice a week. National conferences on ‘Best practices in organ donation’ and ‘Brain death in children’ were organized under the aegis of ISODP. Awareness talks and simultaneous walkathons held in 7 cities were televised live. Articles and expert views were published in leading newspapers. Awareness films were launched in social media. Millward Brown, an independent professional agency, assessed the reach and impact of the campaign. Results: Digital campaign reached 3.3 million(m), 25m and 40m individuals in the three years respectively. TV viewership reached 29m in 2017 and 100m in 2018. Print advertisements reached 9m viewers in 2017 and 20m in 2018. The ‘More To Give’ short awareness films on OD garnered 14m views on Facebook in 2017 and 18m in 2018. Videos on OD were viewed 253000 times on youtube in 2017, 122000 times in 2018 and won the national Dada Saheb Phalke award in 2018 for best film in PSA category. Simultaneous multi-city walkathon was attended by 4500, 6500, 16800 individuals in the 3 years. ‘Virtual steps’ pledged towards the cause of OD were 400000 in second year and 1070000 in the third year. 21000, 33000 and 45000 pledged to donate organs in the 3 years. OD increased from 0.7 per month to 2.1 per month in 13 Fortis hospitals and 5 hospitals had their first donation during the campaign. Organ donors in the country increased from 570 in 2015 (ODR 0.5 PMP) to 906 in 2017 (ODR 0.86 PMP). A 7-city survey in 2019 showed most respondents were aware of OD and 50% were willing to pledge. Public perceived the organization as more caring, expert and socially responsible towards the end of the campaign. Conclusions: Sustained countrywide campaign involving TV, print media and social media along with on-ground events had a positive impact on increasing awareness on OD and ODR. The campaign improved public perception towards the organization.