Blue November in Togo: Making men's health a daily struggle
- Posted on 08/11/2024 16:33
- Film
- By abelozih@sante-education.tg
Extract from the article: Every year, the month of November is dedicated to raising public awareness of men's health issues, particularly male cancers (prostate, testicular and penile cancers). Prostate cancer isthe most common cancer in men. Occurring after the age of 50, pr
Every
year, the month of November is dedicated to raising public awareness of men's
health issues, particularly male cancers (prostate, testicular and penile
cancers). Prostate cancer isthe most common cancer in men. Occurring
after the age of 50, prostate cancer can progress without symptoms.
In
Togo, ‘Bébé Trésor’, the country's first media dedicated to prenatal and
parental education, is actively committed to raising public awareness of this
silent killer, as well as other diseases that particularly affect men. To
achieve its objectives, this online medium, published by Smart Group Togo,
officially launched the ‘Blue November’ campaign in Togo on Wednesday 6
November 2024, under the theme: ‘Making Men's Health a Daily Combat’.
The aim of the campaign is to mobilise all stakeholders around collective actions to promote men's health. "By initiating the “Novembre Bleu Togo” activities, the “Bébé Trésor” media is committed to informing, training and raising awareness among the population.At the same time, we want to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 3 (health and well-being), SDG 5 (gender equality) and SDG 10 (reducing inequalities).We can no longer ignore the fact that men's health is just as important as women's health. Men also have the right to be informed and supported in their efforts to prevent and heal,’ explained Agnindom Hodalo Christelle, Publishing Director of “Bébé Trésor” and Project Coordinator at the launch conference.
It
is therefore essential to take action to promote men's health, just as is being
done for women, who are currently receiving more attention and resources
through the ‘Pink October’ initiative dedicated to the fight against breast
cancer."Discriminatory acts are on the increase, with cases of
gender-based violence (GBV). We believe it is crucial to promote initiatives
that focus on men, in the same way as those that massively benefit women, in
order to reduce these frustrations and inequalities at various levels.One such
initiative would be to invest in the fight against prostate cancer, which is
now a major public health problem and a considerable challenge for men’,
she added.
Through
the ‘Novembre Bleu Togo’ project, Christelle Agnindon hopes to encourage
lasting change in the way men's health is addressed in Togo. The aim of ‘Novembre
Bleu Togo’ is to bring about a real change in mentality and behaviour among
the male population, by encouraging men to take charge of their health on a
daily basis. The campaign aims to break down taboos, encourage self-testing and
promote regular medical consultations.
Raising awareness, providing support and taking action
are the keys to effectively combating this disease. "November should be
for men what October is for women. So why so few information and
awareness-raising activities? Why so little commitment from civil
society organisations, stakeholders and the public themselves? Men
deserve equal access to health information and prevention. (...) The
time has come to mobilise in favour of men's health", said Agnindom
Hodalo Christelle.
In Togo, the 2024 campaign will be marked by a number
of activities: digital campaigns, radio broadcasts, information and
awareness-raising sessions on male cancers, the ‘Blue Content’ challenge
launched on social networks to encourage men to share their experiences and
advice on men's health, and awareness-raising in the workplace. Implementing
these actions requires resources to achieve concrete objectives. A solemn
appeal is being made to all those of goodwill, to state actors, health
professionals, health structures, associations and NGOs, to support their
initiative and take up the challenge of protecting men's health.
Jean ELI