‘Prostate cancer must be taken seriously as it poses real threats to the livelihoods of our men, women, children and their families’

Man up and get tested!

That is the message to all men by the Ministry of Health as they advocate on the importance of getting tested for prostate cancer.

Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services Philip Davies said prostate cancer was the leading cancer amongst Fijian men.

Like many other cancers, Mr Davies said it was increasing in prevalence over the past few years.

“Prostate cancer must be taken seriously as it poses real threats to the livelihoods of our men, women, children and their families,” he said.

Mr Davies made the comment at the launch of posters on prostate cancer awareness at the Ministry of Health and Medical Services headquarters in Toorak, Suva, yesterday.

The posters were launched to create awareness on prostate cancer.

To create awareness on prostate cancer through posters is an initiative of the Suva Golden Oldies Club in conjunction with Nivea for Men, Fiji Cancer Society, Smart Lab Fiji and the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.

“Research shows that prostate cancers usually grow very slowly so the importance of symptoms such as pain when passing urine, passing urine frequently especially at night and blood in urine must be reported to your doctor or nearest hospital or health centres,” he said.

Suva Golden Oldies Club president Mason Smith said: “We are targeting to provide prostate cancer tests to 1500 men around the country and to go along with that target, we need awareness and hence posters from the Nivea for Men.

“The club will also do a pamphlet and we are discussing it with the Fiji Cancer Society.

“For those of you, who are aware there was a visit by member of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, we are trying to do something similar along with our posters and the club will fund the production and distribution of these pamphlets.”

Mr Smith said this was the third year creating awareness on the prostate cancer

Edited by Caroline Ratucadra

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