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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-06-03 Daily Xml
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Men's Health Week

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light—Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:18): This year Men's Health Week will run from 15 to 21 June, and the theme for Men's Health Week this year is MoMENts In Time. It is based on the idea that those little and not so little moments in life can add up to a big impact, particularly for men's relationships with their families.

Men's Health Week first started in the United States in 1994 to raise awareness for preventable health problems. It also sought to encourage early detection and treatment of disease amongst men and boys. Some men have previously perceived a stigma attached to men's health issues, a stigma that Men's Health Week and other initiatives is helping to remove.

Often when men's health is raised people straightaway think of prostate cancer. This is a good thing; in Australia prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. However, it is about more than just prostate cancer. Men's Health Week and other awareness events and groups have done tremendous work in raising awareness about this form of cancer. However, we need to go beyond that. Men's Health Week seeks to raise awareness about all aspects of men's health, be they physical, mental or spiritual.

In anticipation of Men's Health Week, I will be holding two events on 11 and 12 June at the Hewett Centre in my electorate. On the evening of 11 June, commencing at 7pm, Professor Gary Wittert, the Head of the School of Medicine at the University of Adelaide and the Director of the Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men's Health, will share with the audience the results of his research into the effects of ageing on men's health. Professor Wittert is currently conducting research in which he is looking at the impact of using diet and testosterone treatment to prevent type 2 diabetes in men. It is hoped that the results of the study will lead to identifying ways to improve men's health.

On 12 June, between 9.30am and 3.40pm, I will host a men's health forum and expo where there will be a number of speakers discussing health ageing, physical health, mental health, spiritual health and, just as important, social engagement. In terms of social engagement, one of the greatest barriers for men to attaining good health and also seeking out health advice is their lack of social engagement later in life, and one of the major aims of this forum is to assist men with remaining connected to community. In conjunction with the speakers, there will be numerous stallholders providing information about their organisations and the benefits they can provide to both men's health and the health of our communities.

A number of other organisations in the electorate will be providing a number of events and activities. The Hewett Community Church of Christ and Riverdell will be hosting an event entitled Sacred Men's Business, which will explore the deeper aspects of manhood, on Monday 15 June 2015 at 7.30pm. This will also be held at the Hewett Centre. There will be an open day at the Willo's Men's Shed on Wednesday 17 June between 10am and 2pm. The blokes at the Willo's Men's Shed will be putting on a barbecue that visitors can enjoy while witnessing what the Willo's Men's Shed has to offer.

Another organisation making a huge contribution to Men's Health Week, but also generally to men's health, is the Freemasons in this state. It may not be well known but the Freemasons are a major benefactor for the Men's Health Centre at the University of Adelaide and, with that funding, a lot of research is undertaken into men's health.

Additionally, a number of the churches in my electorate undertake a lot of work with men in their communities. I am aware that the Salvation Army has a number of programs and projects which help men not only in terms of addressing the issues of health and engagement but also in undertaking projects through those programs with their community. The Hewett Centre also has the Blokes@Hewett program—again, another program designed for men to interact with other men but also to engage them in community and to ensure that they have not only physical health but also, importantly, mental and spiritual health.

I would encourage all members of this parliament to encourage men and also their partners and supporters to attend as many Men's Health Week activities in their own communities as possible. Hopefully, by having more healthy men, we will have healthy families and healthy communities.

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