Man Alive! Conference tackles men’s health

The Ulster Cancer Foundation (UCF) and BT have hosted the first Man Alive! Conference, to address the subject of men’s health in the workplace. The conference was the focal point of the Man Alive campaign, launched by the charity in partnership with BT to inform men about cancer, encourage them to make positive changes to their lifestyle and empower them to take control of their health.

Gerry McElwee, Head of Cancer Prevention, UCF said, “Cancer has a major impact on the health of men in Northern Ireland. Every year about 4,700 new cases are diagnosed and around 1,900 local men die from cancer. This situation needs urgent attention. When it comes to health messages, men are notoriously hard to reach because many are reluctant to talk about health issues and less likely to seek professional help.

“Our experience shows that one of the best ways to reach men is through their place of work. Today’s conference is an important milestone in raising awareness of men’s health issues to a wider audience and is designed to provide a practical guide for companies to empower their male workforce towards a healthier future.

“Working in partnership with BT we want to raise men’s awareness of cancer risks, address how these can be reduced and signpost men to local services. Two-thirds of cancers can be prevented by simple lifestyle changes. In addition, an understanding of signs and symptoms can lead to early detection and thus more successful treatment. By providing information and workshops in a supportive environment, we believe that local businesses will become the catalyst for major change in the health of their male employees.

“In the long term, our objective is to create and support a healthy workplace ethos for addressing men’s health and roll it out to all organisations across Northern Ireland.”

Peter Morris, BT Director of Consumer and Corporate Services commented, “BT is committed to supporting UCF through its Man Alive! campaign as the partnership not only raises awareness of men’s health, but it also supports BT’s employee health and wellbeing programme.

“Employee health is integral to the success of BT and by educating our staff and raising awareness of men’s health issues we are not only supporting employees, but the benefits to the business include reduced absenteeism, improved mental health, reduced stress levels and a more motivated workforce.

“In addition to hosting the conference, we will be running a series of BT employee workshops that will reinforce the campaign messages and drive home the importance of health issues and cancer prevention.”

For more information visit Ulstercancer.org.