‘SINdasubito’ is the name of the project that won the fourth edition of the # PerchèSì Award, a contest and hackathon conceived and promoted by Sanofi in collaboration with the Holden School of Turin, which this year, in addition to the consolidated patronage of the Italian Society of Hygiene , preventive medicine and public health (Siti), was also able to count on that of the Italian Society of Neonatology (Sin), and the Italian Society of Pediatrics (Sip). The awarded project is an innovative multilingual information podcast on RSV, the respiratory syncytial virus, aimed at expectant parents and new parents, including multilingual families (holding 22% of the birth rate in Italy).
# PerchèSì was created to support correct and effective communication on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and help prevent its risk by developing a process of co-creating effective and winning communication campaigns because they are based on authoritative and clear content but at the same time capable of involve and bring families and new parents closer to such an important issue in terms of prevention. According to a recent survey, in fact, only 1 in 2 new parents knows RSV, although it affects at least once almost all children by the age of 2 and is the first cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia among children in the 1st year of age. age.
The winning project, which holds a Master in scientific storytelling at the Holden School of Turin, is a podcast that adapts to the hectic life of today’s parents and promotes their empowerment through the dissemination of authoritative information and coverage on social media, with interactive and participatory initiatives, such as the photovoice and the involvement of well-known guests. The 2022 edition – which this year wanted to focus on the challenges of parenting, with particular focus on RSV pathologies – saw the participation of 45 multidisciplinary teams, composed of over 300 future communicators, designers, managers, professionals of the health and parents. The communication campaigns aimed at professionals and the population, created with the dynamics of the hackathon, were selected by a jury of experts who decided the winner of the contest. This year, the campaigns stood out for the professionalism of communication and the strategic use of different media, including social media, podcast, metaverse and even the innovative photovoice, which uses images as a storytelling tool.
The decision to address the new parents, dealing specifically with the issue of RSV – continues the note – derives from the need for greater information on the issue. From the ‘Parenting and prevention of infectious diseases’ survey carried out on a sample of 1,800 parents by DoxaPharma in collaboration with FattoreMamma, it emerged that only 10% of new parents are adequately informed in children in the 0-3 year range, while 1 out of 3 (37%) seek information on this. In particular, with regard to the RSV, 45% declare that they do not know this virus, despite the infection affecting almost all children by the age of 2 and is the main cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in the 1st year.
“With the # WhySì project, now in its fourth edition in 2022, Sanofi intends to confirm its commitment to clear, effective scientific communication capable of transmitting the value of prevention for the individual and the entire community, starting from the most small – says Mario Merlo, General Manager Vaccine Division of Sanofi in Italy – We are proud of the feedback received again this year, with over 300 professionals from the world of communication, design and health who have made their skills available to spread a more information on RSV, a very common virus among the youngest, as well as one of the main causes of bronchiolitis and pneumonia, but unfortunately still little known among new parents. We hope that this project and the campaigns created can support mothers and fathers in recognizing the symptoms and knowing how to deal with this respiratory infection, in order to protect children in early childhood “.
The winning team, which developed the ‘SINdasubito’ campaign, is made up of Fabiola Aversano, specializing in Pediatrics, Luigi Vanvitelli University of Campania; Federica Cadoni and Sara Maria Pani Postgraduates of the Schools of Hygiene and Public Health, University of Cagliari and Silvana Bonavita, scientific communicator; Federica Lalli, mother.