Cape Town: The Health Department of the City of Cape Town arranged special check-up clinics for city men on the occassion of ‘International Men’s Day’. They urged men to take responsibility for their well-being.
Men’s Health event was observed at the Gugulethu Clinic where men were encouraged to regularly go for health checks. The theme for this year was ‘Men’s Health Champions.’
At the campaign on Tuesday, Nov 19, 2024 the City Health Department saw 15% decline in men attending the clinics for health visits across all age categories.
During the 2023-24 financial year almost 1,101,765 men attended the City of Cape Town clinics, compared to 1,294,229 men, recorded in year 2022-23.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Services and Health – Councilor Patricia Van der Ross said that one of the key objectives of the day is to improve the health of men and boys.
She stated that it starts with identifying the risk factors and taking measures to reduce the potential impact. She emphasized that there are some major leading causes of death in men which considers diseases such as Heart Disease, TB and Diabetes. The good news is that there are some precautions that men can take to stay healthy.
Reportedly, the men aged 40 and above are typically encouraged to have regular screening for hypertension and diabetes, but trends show that younger men (18-40) are being diagnosed, due in part to lifestyle factors.
In terms of testicular cancer, young men were encouraged to not ignore lumps just because they are pain-free and to have them checked out at their nearest healthcare facility.
Furthermore, Mental Health Statistics show that the incidence of common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety is on the increase, including suicide amongst adolescents and men.
Councilor Ross said that they need to shift perceptions around seeking professional help for mental health matters and also taking responsibility for their own health through positive lifestyle changes, such as eating healthy foods, exercising and avoiding substances like alcohol and drugs.