Astellas Pharma Bulgaria received an award in the category “Campaign with a social, economic or market impact“ within the Master Business Awards initiative of Economic.bg. The award was accepted by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Svetoslav Tsenov, Executive Director of Astellas for Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Greece, and the award was presented to him by Georgi Zhelyazkov, Editor-in-Chief of Economic.bg.
The company earned recognition for the national information initiative “Your health is your responsibility“ – one of the longest-running campaigns in Bulgaria dedicated to the prevention and early detection of prostate cancer.
The Astellas campaign is an example how an important health topic can become a public conversation and encourage real change in attitudes and behavior when worked on consistently and in the long term. It is this sustainable effect that is at the heart of the meaning of the award“, said Georgi Zhelyazkov, editor-in-chief of Economic.bg.
Launched in 2016, the initiative sets itself a clear public goal – to encourage men over 40 to take a more active role in caring for their own health through regular prevention and early diagnosis. For nearly a decade, the campaign has managed to turn a topic that is traditionally difficult to talk about into part of the broader public conversation about men's health.
It is the sustainability and ability of the initiative to reach different audiences that are among the main reasons why Astellas Pharma Bulgaria received the recognition of the Master Business Awards. Over the years, the campaign has constantly changed its format and is looking for new ways to talk about prevention – through partnerships with sports clubs and motorcycle communities, musicians, doctors, media and companies from various sectors.
In 2017, the partnership with Gentleman Riders helped the topic reach the male motorcycle community. In 2018, with the support of Mariana Popova, the first-ever flash mob for men's health in Bulgaria was implemented. In 2019, Astellas implemented an exclusive partnership with PFC Levski, and under the motto “1:0 for life” veterans, sports journalists and company employees played a demonstrative football match in support of the cause. In 2020, the message was aimed at football fans across the country, who were urged to perceive prevention as their ticket to a longer life.
In 2021, the campaign addressed men through an emotional video dedicated to what it means to be a “man in place”, emphasizing that the most important place for every real man is with his family. In 2022, rock legend Ivan Lechev stood shoulder to shoulder with Prof. Asen Dudov and Prof. Radoslav Georgiev in a joint call for men to have a preventive examination and PSA test. In 2023, the initiative united the football community in Bulgaria, with football players from all clubs in the First League taking to the field with special shirts in support of prevention. In 2024, the campaign provoked a public debate with the message that many people spend more time on the annual inspection of their car than on their own health.
In 2025, Astellas took the next bold step with the first “Pro-Test" - a positive protest in support of regular PSA testing and early diagnosis. The event in front of the National Palace of Culture, supported by the Bulgarian Oncological Scientific Society and the Bulgarian Urological Society, as well as by partners such as Yellow Taxi, Mr. Bricolage, Kärcher Bulgaria, EKO Bulgaria and PFC Ludogorets, showed how a health cause can become a social movement.
The results of the campaign in 2025 also show its scale - over 13.2 million impressions, reaching more than 3.3 million people, over 48,600 interactions in a digital environment, more than 90 media publications and a reported PR value of over 250 thousand euros. More important than the communication indicators, however, is the long-term effect that the initiative strives for - reducing the stigma surrounding men's health, raising awareness of early diagnosis and motivating more men to take timely preventive actions.
Astellas Pharma Bulgaria is currently preparing the tenth consecutive edition of the campaign, which will launch in the fall of 2026. After nine consecutive years of development, innovation and public engagement, “Your Health is your responsibility" continues to prove that sustainable investments in socially significant causes can change attitudes, behavior and human destinies. This is an example of how business can create long-term social value and be a driver of positive change far beyond the framework of its core business.
Expect Economic.bg's interview with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Svetoslav Tsenov.
Source: www.economic.bg