Men's Health Week 2006 in Europe

Countries around the world have been celebrating Men’s Health Week for several years now. In 2003, the USA, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, and many countries in Europe decided to synchronise the date of their awareness raising activities. These now take place simultaneously across the world during the week leading to Father’s day, which in most countries is the second week of June.

This year, Men’s Health Week will be celebrated across the World June 12-18.

In Europe, the theme chosen by many countries is men and mental wellbeing; although as in previous years, a diverse range of related activities, are encouraged whether connected or not to the main theme. Some organisations have already declared that their chosen theme for 2007 will be man and long term medical conditions.

Events for 2006 are planned in several European countries. Here is a summary of the information received so far from organisations members of EMHF:

• Please contact office@emhf.org should you like you event to be listed here.

England

• National conference "Mind Your Head" - June 14 (Wembley Conference centre, London) Click for more.
• Presentation of the MHF’s new policy recommendations and of the new "Brain Manual" during the conference
• All Parliamentary Group meeting: Taking forward the recommendations of the policy document" Mind Your Head: Men, boys and mental well-being" - June 14
• Nearly 1,000 health information presentations to professionals and health promotion activities to the public. More than 2,000 registered participants.
• CD resource being published
• 40 public and private partners support in MHW2006 in England
• Further info: from the MHF website here or Matthew Maycock, National Men’s Health Week Coordinator at Men’s Health Forum England (MHF) by email.

Scotland

• 10km run organised by MHFs and Cancerbackup - Sunday 18 June.
• 70 events organised by men’s health week participants, and covering presentations to health professionals and NHS staff, health checks and promotion activities to the public, many of which advocate the benefits of physical activity on mental wellbeing.
• CD resource including final directory of events being published
• Note: Men’s Health Forum Scotland National Conference postponed to 19 Sep
• Further info: MHFS website here or Sarah McMillan at Men’s Health Forum Scotland by email.

Wales

• Launch of Prostate Cancer booklet written by cancer patient REg Williams at Newport City Leisure Centre (June 12)
• Further info: Reg Williams by email.

Ireland

• Conference titled "Mind Your Self" - 13 June with launch of Irish Dept of Health and Children’s new policy document on men’s health.
• Agencies throughout the island will implement health-focused activities for men and boys
• Media intervention to highlight concerns for male health
• Further info: MHFI website here or from Sé Franklin or Noel Richardson by email.

Denmark

• Before June 12: Information material to all GPs, pharmacists and other health professionals about working with men and mental wellbeing issues.
• Launch event in Copenhagen
• Event in Aarhus on elderly men’s wellbeing, depression, and suicide
• Seminar on elderly men’s mental wellbeing in Odense
• Presentation "On the brain, Stress, and Depression" in Copenhagen
• Seminar: Elderly men’s mental wellbeing and suicide in Odense
• ’Men and psychotherapy’, presentation in cooperation with the Danish Psychological Association
• Further info: download PDF or from Svend Aage Madsen at Men’s Health Society Denmark (Sundman) by email.

Austria

• "Fit through the Soccer World Cup" day - "healthy football watching" health advice and educational games
• Men’s health information and promotion for M.E.N
• Health checks: blood pressure, blood sugar levels, PSA test (Prostate Specific Antigen), nutrition counselling, Body Mass Index etc.
• Further info: Daniel Sanin at M.E.N by email.

Belgium

• Men’s health presentation event in Liege - 200 participants expected.
• Further info: Hugo Beeckmanns at Vitalis by email. 

France

• TV Campaign on Erectile Dysfunction 5-25 June, media intervention in the week June 12-18 to promote the existence of the week internationally and of the European Declaration.
• Further info: Dr Antoine Lemaire at ADIRS by email.

Germany

• Tübingen: A second business breakfast meeting: short case studies, information exchange, conversations Tuesday, 13 June 2006 from 8:00 to 9:30/10:00 in the AOK health center Hegelstraße 5/1 in Tübingen download PDF

• Further info: Gunter Neubauer, Reinhard Winter info@sowit.de
  
  

• Men’s Health Day is officially 17 June but activities have been postponed until Nov.
  Further info: Dr Christian Leiber at ISG by email. 

Estonia

• Men’s Health Week in Estonia will take place in the Autumn, to coincide with the later date of their Father’s Day. Their main theme will be Prostate Cancer.