OGA BUILDS PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERSHIP FOR MEN’S HEALTH WEEK 2010
Monday July 5, 2010
The Office of Gender Affairs (OGA) in the Ministry of Health and Social Development is working to build partnerships with private sector entities in the Territory to work with the office on Men’s Health Week 2010. Dates for the observance will soon be announced.
Towards that end head of gender affairs Miss Patricia Hackett recently made a presentation to Rotary Sunrise of Road Town, where her main objectives were to give a background of the Office of Gender Affairs’ work related to Men’s Health Week, and to invite Rotary Sunrise to collaborate with the OGA to execute activities in the communities on men’s health.
Miss Hackett also used the opportunity to challenge myths that are commonly associated with being a man: “There is a popular saying that ‘big boys don’t cry’, but it is alright for men and boys to cry because they too have emotions and must be allowed to express them. It is a myth to think that men are not supposed to show any kind of emotions when in pain.”
She noted that the OGA has been observing Men’s Health Week for the past four years through public education programmes that target male dominated organisations in Government and the private sector.
The objectives of the observance, added Miss Hackett, are to bring greater awareness of the importance of various health issues that affect men, in order to inspire and motivate men to be more health conscious.
“When men know the status of their blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose levels, prostate and mental health they would be in a better position to seek the necessary medical intervention,” she said.
The Ministry of Health and Social Development and the Office of Gender Affairs are proposing to decentralize the activities for Men’s Health Week 2010 in the various communities throughout the Territory. This would be done in collaboration with men’s group, civil society organizations, Rotary Sunrise of Road Town and all the other Rotary Clubs in the Territory in order to reach a wider cross section of men especially the young men, with the long term goal of having ongoing activities for men’s health in the different communities.