Men’s Health Week, 9-15 June, 2014

Men’s Health Week, 9-15 June, 2014

Men’s Health Week is underway again this year to encourage New Zealand men to proactively take charge and improve their health and wellbeing.

During the awareness week, New Zealand men will be encouraged to find our their Men’s Health Score by completing an online survey at www.menshealthweek.co.nz.

During the entire month of June men can visit their local Life, Unichem or Amcal pharmacy to get a free Men’s Health Pit Stop Check. Just like a car needs regular servicing, our bodies need an annual warrant of fitness, and men can talk to the pharmacist about which screening tools are appropriate and have their blood pressure taken.

Visit greencrosshealth.co.nz to find your nearest participating Life, Unichem or Amcal pharmacy, and investigate preventative health measures with Nature’s Own www.naturesown.co.nz

• Every three hours a kiwi bloke dies from a potentially preventable illness

• 1 in 8 New Zealand men will experience serious depression during their lifetime.

• In New Zealand the suicide rate for men is 3 times that of women.

• 1 in 10 NZ men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime.

• Māori men fare poorly compared with other New Zealanders on a number of health indicators:

o In 2005–2007, male life expectancy at birth was 79.0 years for non-Māori and 70.4 years for Māori, a difference of 8.6 years.

o Leading causes of death for Māori men include cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and respiratory disease.

o Māori men are 1.5 times more likely to be current smokers than men in the total population.

• The best thing that New Zealand men can do in 2014 about their health is to get proactive. By taking preventative action men can reduce the danger of major health risks including stroke, testicular cancer, cardiovascular problems and depression.

Men’s Health Week is proudly supported by Registered Master Builders, Cigna, Pit Stop, Nature’s Own, M2 and Life, Unichem and Amcal pharmacies. Thanks to health partners Mana Tane Ora o Aotearoa, depression.org.nz and Men’s Health Trust.

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