Movember is Men’s health month. Simon, Tom and Ben from Hillcrest Pharmacy in the Remadee.co.nz Retail lounge Café and Day Spa are doing their bit to inspire the men of New Zealand to think about their health by “growing their Mo’s”. Over the month of November we will be talking about a number of issues that impact on the health of New Zealand men.
But why is the focus only on men’s health, surely the health of the whole population is important? New Zealand statistics tell us that New Zealand men on average die about 4 years earlier than New Zealand women and Maori men about 7 years earlier than non- Maori men. In knowing this we must consider the reasons for the gaps in health outcomes and understand that there are a number of things that New Zealanders can do to help close these gaps.
The following are just a few of the issues that will be discussed by our team at Hillcrest Pharmacy in the Remadee.co.nz Retail Lounge, Café and Day Spa over the month of MOVEMBER
Deaths from Suicide in Young men is much higher than for women. Prostate and Testicular Cancer account for about 4.4% of male deaths. Death and injury from Accident particularly those involving young men and motor vehicles are much higher than for women. Heart disease, stroke and lung Cancer are the leading causes of death for men with the rate of heart disease in men being twice that of women.
It is thought that one of the contributing factors is the “Kiwi Mans Culture”. “When I was a younger man”, says Tom, “we used to call it the ‘Rugby, Racing and Beer’ culture. As a health professional, I now see that factors such as nutrition, obesity, alcohol consumption, smoking, mental health status and other socio-economic factors are all issues that impact negatively on the health outcomes of men with Poverty, Substance addiction, diabetes, depression and anxiety creating shaky foundations for a healthy life.
The “she’ll be right”, “I can do this on my own” attitude of men also results in men being less likely to seek early advice from health professionals. Come on men “She won’t be right” if you leave your check ups and screening or if you ask for advice too late.
Maori men and women do not enjoy the same health outcomes as non-Maori. I long to see a New Zealand where all New Zealanders can freely access health services, have confidence that they are receiving the very best of care that New Zealand can offer and enjoy te hauora pai ano. So come on New Zealand “Get a MO” on for Movember and follow us on Instagram, Youtube and facebook this month to find out more about men’s health issues.
Today’s Movember Health topic is about COVID -19. Did you know that if you are a man and get COVID-19 you are about 50% more likely to die. This is why Tom and his team at Hillcrest Pharmacy in the Remadee Retail Lounge, Café and Day spa are encouraging men to receive a protective vaccination against COVID-19.
