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Cimas Health Group is marking Men’s Health Awareness Month by offering Cimas members prostate cancer screening at all its clinics throughout November, broadcasting a prostate cancer talk show on Friday (November 18) and holding an iGo Movember Half-Marathon on November 26.
The month of November was first dubbed Movember in 2003 in Australia when men were asked to grow a moustache, abbreviated in Australia to ‘mo’, to draw attention to men’s health issues and raise money to combat them. The term Movember and the practice of growing a moustache in November to highlight men’s health issues spread to other countries.
Prostate cancer and testicular cancer are two of the major men’s health issues highlighted during this month. Mental health is another issue focused on, particularly in countries where there is a high incidence of suicide among men.
However, other general health issues affecting men’s health, including the need to stay healthy and fit through exercise and a healthy diet, are also highlighted during Men’s Health Awareness Month.
The Movember Half-Marathon on November 26, which iGo, the Cimas wellness programme, is hosting in Harare and Bulawayo, combines the promotion of good health and wellness with increasing awareness of men’s health issues and raising money to help combat cancer.
The money raised from registration for the charity half-marathon will be donated to the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe.
The half-marathon will be run at Hillside Dams in Bulawayo and First Capital Bank (formerly Barclays) Sports Club in Harare.
However, it will be possible for people living elsewhere or unable to participate at these venues to register for virtual participation, meaning that they will participate by registering and going on their own run wherever they wish on the 26th and submitting if they choose to, a video of their running.
The registration fee is five United States dollars for the virtual run and US$10 for the physical run. Registration can be done online on the Vusa sports website (www.vusasport.africa) for both the physical and virtual run
The prostate cancer talk show will be live-streamed on Nash TV, ZTN, and the Cimas Medical Aid and Cimas iGo Facebook pages on November 18.
The observation of November as Men’s Health Awareness Month with its focus on prostate and testicular cancer, two of the major cancers affecting men, follows the focus in October on breast cancer, one of the major cancers chiefly affecting women.