By Dr Karen Cummings
(Minister within the Ministry of Public Health)

THE Ministry of Public Health in its quest to deliver the best quality public health care services to the people of Guyana, recognises the implications of gender on the health and well-being of individuals. Men and women as a consequence of their gender, have different health needs and outcomes. With this notion in mind, the Ministry of Public Health employs a strategic interdisciplinary and multi-sectoral approach which aims to guide its health systems in addressing the specific health needs of young and adult men within the population.

The basic aims of the Men’s Health Unit are as follows:
• Health promotion and information with provision of health care which addresses the specific health needs of adult and young men.
• Evidence-based practices when providing health care to adult and young men.
• Health monitoring and evaluation of the plans.

Men and women are different in many ways. Not only do men (and women) experience life differently, but they think, perceive, react, respond, and communicate differently about their lives and their health. Being male brings with it a distinct mix of biological factors, learned behaviours, cultural expectations and values that affect the way males value themselves, how they relate to others, and how they respond, especially to stressful points of transition throughout their life courses. Men as a group often have poorer health outcomes, and are likely to have shorter life expectancy than women. Conventional literature posits that men have higher rates of mortality and morbidity in areas such as mental health, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, injuries, and cancer. Men even access health services at a lower rate than women, and have fewer hospital visits, longer stays, and more intensive and costly interventions.

The Ministry of Public Health recognises the need to improve the health of communities through improvement of the health care services available to men. In order to make this objective a reality, we are employing measures to better appreciate the unique ways in which men approach their health. Moreover, we will be able to understand the problems they face in accessing health services and assist them to do so in a timely manner. We at the Ministry of Public Health will be establishing a plethora of services that will provide positive and effective ways to reach and engage men, especially those with the poorest health (particularly in hinterland areas). These various services will enable all men to have the best opportunities to reach and access exceptional quality public health services that can help them establish and maintain optimal health.

Strategic priorities for Men’s Health in Guyana
Some of the strategic priorities as they relate to significantly improving the health and well-being of men in Guyana revolve around the following: (1) Building capacity within the public health system to make health services and information ‘male friendly,’ so that all men have equitable access to the best possible information and health care services available; (2) Reducing the incidence of cancer among men by improving cancer awareness, screening, and care through encouraging men to have regular check-ups, conduct self-screening, and lead healthier lifestyles; (3) Supporting more effective approaches to health promotion and campaigns for obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and unsafe sexual behaviour. Health promotion will seek to increase awareness on sexual and reproductive health, sexually transmitted infections/diseases, male participation in health programmes with their partners and create awareness about gender-based violence; (4) Promoting actions to support and increase resilience (empowerment) of men during especially stressful points of transition across their life courses, as well as deal with depression; (5) Increasing the participation of men in programmes and activities such as family planning, designed to prepare them for being fathers and encourage them to take an active and positive role in parenting.

Some Health issues affecting men in Guyana
Guyana’s demographic trends show that males may have poor health-seeking behaviours and do not get help until advanced progression of their health afflictions. Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer among Guyanese men and is recorded as five times more in men of Afro-Guyanese descent. Colon, rectal, and lung cancer also pose grave threats to men living in Guyana.

Cardiovascular diseases, mental illness, diabetes, obesity and sexually transmitted diseases are all health issues that affect men. Most of these health conditions are considered “potentially avoidable,” because they can be avoided through prevention and early management. For example, nine of the top 10 determinants of health risks are behavioural, and therefore preventable. These are risks that are associated with smoking, high body mass index, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, physical inactivity, alcohol abuse, occupational exposures, illicit drugs, and diets low in fruits and vegetables.

Since the establishment of the Men’s Health Unit within the Maternal and Child Health Department of the Ministry of Public Health, there has been the creation of eight (8) pilot sites for Men’s Health Clinics. These are located in the following areas: (Region Four) Mahaica, Agricola, Herstelling, Kuru Kururu; (Region Seven) Bartica; (Region Eight) Mahdia; and (Region Nine) Lethem and Aishalton.

One of the aims of the Men’s Health Unit is to establish at least one “male friendly” health facility in each region by 2020, which offers comprehensive, demand-driven health care services to reach the needs of the specific male population in those areas. Through surveys, focus group discussions, and general hospital/health centre reports, the issues affecting the different areas will be highlighted and measures put in place to meet the various needs.

The Men’s Health Unit is quite cognisant that behaviour change takes time, and even more so with men. To this end, efforts will continue through constant sensitisation sessions via radio, television, outreaches, and especially inter-sectorial collaborations. Work is constantly intertwined with the Adolescent Health Unit, because the boys of today will inevitably be the men of tomorrow.

So men, make a commitment to take care of yourselves. Get your cholesterol checked. Control your blood pressure/cholesterol if they are high, reduce or eliminate your alcohol consumption, and DO NOT SMOKE. Increase physical activity to at least 30 minutes per day, as many days of the week as possible. Eat a healthy diet with more fruits and vegetables and less saturated/trans fats. Note that moderate weight loss and 30 minutes of daily activity have been said to reduce the chance of diabetes by more than 50 percent. Men, I urge you to make every effort to educate yourselves and your partners with health care information that focuses on overall preventative and proactive health care to help you reduce your risks of the top health threats. The Ministry of Public Health will continue to create enabling environments for men in every region, so that they can access the best quality public health care services in Guyana.