Movember kicks off
Mo Bros and Mo Sisters are called up to fight the good fight against men's cancers and mental health care. Movember is the time for men to style their facial hair to perfection to create awareness for these issues.
It’s that time of the year again when South Africa’s Mo Bros, supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, embark on a hairy journey to change the face of men’s health and help raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer and male mental health.
In South Africa, Movember has partnered with the Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa) and funds raised from each campaign are allocated towards men’s health survivorship and research programmes.
Movember officially launched in Groenkloof last week with local Braai Boy, Gareth Daniell, putting in a special appearance in support of the campaign.
People from all walks of life are encouraged to participate, from teachers, CEOs and policemen to doctors, students musicians and more. These dedicated men become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of Movember and thereby prompt private and public conversation around the often ignored issues of men’s health.
Movember also sheds light on hard-hitting numbers. According to statistics from Cansa, South African men have a shorter life expectancy than South African women.
The rate of cancer diagnoses among men is also considerably higher, 1 in 6 men are diagnosed as compared to 1 in 8 women.
In addition, more than 4 000 cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed annually, and it is estimated that over 2 500 men will die of the disease each year, amounting to a man dying every 4,5 hours. These statistics point to the urgent need for men to know the status of their health, whether it is the risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke or cancer.
Known affectionately as Mo Bros and Mo Sistas, participants can now register on www.movember.com to take part in Movember. The rules are simple: once registered, start clean shaven on 1 Movember.
Movember is hosting a series of shave-in events around the country. As the Mo Bros groom their way through the month, they effectively become living billboards for men’s health issues, driving the conversation, and in turn awareness while securing donations or sponsorship for their moustaches through their grooming efforts and fine ‘moustachery’.
In 2012 more than 30 000 South African Mo Bros and Mo Sistas registered. These efforts resulted in over R7m being raised for local prostate and testicular survivorship and research programmes developed and managed with Cansa.
