Merck holds cancer awareness campaign
From left, Biopharma Division general manager Uloff Muenster, Merck Korea managing director Michael Grund, Korea University Hospital professor Kim Yeul-hong, Seoul Medical Science Institute Vice President Han Sung-hee and Biopharma Division oncology head Roger Elia get together at a cancer awareness event at Merck’s headquarters in southern Seoul, Friday. / Courtesy of Merck Korea
By Kim Yoo-chul
Merck Korea said Monday that it will increase spending to boost its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and related programs.
In a statement, the company said it hosted an event on March 18 celebrating colorectal cancer awareness month as designated by the Global Colon Cancer Association (GCCA).
This event took place as part of the global Germany-based chemical titan’s Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Campaign, improving awareness of the disease, said the statement.
“Through the campaign, Merck is making an effort to improve awareness of colorectal cancer,” Michael Grund, managing director of the local affiliate, said in the statement. “And the patients, their families, medical experts and the general public need proper information and awareness about colorectal cancer. We also plan to alert people to the dangers of the disease.”
At Merck’s Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Campaign, which is held worldwide, a “Dress in Blue” day on March 7 was also held in which employees dressed or carried belongings in blue to symbolize the campaign.
Merck also hosted a trivia game to spread the right information about colorectal cancer, said the statement.
“A lecture to improve awareness of colorectal cancer was focused on improving the awareness and arousing people’s attention regarding colorectal cancer, and delivering various information about prevention, diagnosis, and treatment,” it added.
“It is really meaningful to launch the campaign in South Korea where the country has ranked in the top third of colorectal cancer rates,” Uloff Muenster, general manager of the company’s biopharma division, said in a statement.
Korea has the highest rate of colorectal cancer worldwide.
“Apart from genetic factors, the causes of colorectal cancer are peoples’ poor eating habits and lack of physical activity,” said the statement.