Blue November: Raising journalists' awareness of the challenges of managing prostate cancer

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Extract from the article: Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men, causing hundreds of new cases every year in Togo. However, despite the existence of effective treatments, many cases remain undiagnosed or are diagnosed too late, jeopardising the chances of a

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Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men, causing hundreds of new cases every year in Togo. However, despite the existence of effective treatments, many cases remain undiagnosed or are diagnosed too late, jeopardising the chances of a cure. A lack of awareness of the symptoms, the stigma associated with men's health and a cultural reluctance to consult a doctor for health concerns that are considered ‘private’ or ‘embarrassing’ generally exacerbate the situation. Journalists therefore have a key role to play in raising men's awareness of the risks associated with prostate disease. However, for this mission to be accomplished, it is essential that journalists themselves understand the issues, the challenges and the existing solutions for managing these diseases.

As part of the Blue November campaign, Eagle Africa, a pioneer in the promotion of reproductive health and the prevention of communicable and non-communicable diseases in Africa, in partnership with the Media Network for the Promotion of Health and the Environment (REMAPSEN), organised a training session on Thursday 14 November 2024 for some twenty journalists on the theme ‘ Challenges associated with Blue November and the effective management of prostate disorders’.

The journalists were trained to understand the medical and technical aspects of prostate diseases.Better informed, these media professionals will now be able to produce more accurate reports and encourage preventive behaviour among the public.They also discussed the communication challenges associated with men's health, in particular the social taboo surrounding these diseases, and the crucial role of the media in educating the public.

According to Dr Kossi Ahadji, public health expert and managing director of the Eagle Africa clinic, "the media play a key role in informing the public, raising awareness and disseminating good practice in prevention, screening and treatment. There is still a lack of appropriate information on the prevention, screening and treatment of prostate disease among the general public. It is vital that the media get involved in disseminating the right information, so that people are not kept in the dark".

Major challenges for men's health in Togo

Eagle Africa has identified several major obstacles complicating the fight against prostate disease. These include the high prevalence of prostate disease and the lack of urology specialists. In Togo, access to specialist care remains limited due to an insufficient number of urologists, concentrated mainly in urban areas. This lack of specialists makes access to care difficult for rural populations. The lack of appropriate screening equipment or facilities, such as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests or ultrasound machines, means that many patients have to travel long distances to access care.

Treating prostate cancer also presents a number of challenges, due to the biological complexity of the disease, the variability of individual factors and the risks associated with the treatments themselves.In response to these challenges, Eagle Africa is committed to supporting the Ministry of Health in the training of urologists and the development of appropriate infrastructure.

‘The management of prostate diseases requires not only specialists, but also a better distribution of medical resources to cover the entire country", adds Dr Kossi Ahadji.

Raising journalists' awareness of the challenges involved in treating prostate disease is essential if we are to reduce the rate of late diagnosis and improve the quality of life of men suffering from these conditions.By educating themselves and gaining a better understanding of what is at stake in this public health issue, journalists can play a decisive role in reducing the stigma and ignorance surrounding men's health.

Jean ELI