With special guest:
- Prof John Macdonald
Men’s Health Week this year is going to provide a platform to challenge and debate key issues in men’s health and to raise the profile of men, their health outcomes and health needs around the country. The week is not going to be focussed on telling men where they are going wrong which is good news for men and boys.
Our guest today is Professor John Macdonald who tells us about some of the many activities surrounding Men’s Health Week that we can expect and look forward to in June of each year. The theme in 2017 is Healthy Body Healthy Mind: Keeping the Balance. John tells us that they do go hand in hand so if you look after yourself physically you will get the mental advantage as well.
Some might question the need for a focus on the health of men and boys in Australia but the reality is that the health status of males in Australia as in most countries is generally poorer than that of females. More males die at every stage through the life course, more males have accidents, more males take their own lives and more males suffer from lifestyle-related health conditions than females at the same age. As to why this is the case there are a few theories but one we should rule out is that men are somehow at fault or that this is a male condition.
John Macdonald has experience all over the world ranging from Zambia to the United Kingdom and more recently at the Western Sydney University and his roles have included being a National Men’s Health Ambassador. John brings that authority to our program today but does not stick to the statistics. We need to improve men’s and boys’ environments and a good start is to listen to what John says in this program.
The message to men and boys is to be positive, the message to the women in their lives is to be proactive in helping their men and their sons when they need help, and to be persistent. This is a show for everyone with one of our favourite guests since he first came onto the program in 2009.
Prof John Macdonald
Professor John Macdonald was born in Scotland. John had 10 years’ experience in Zambia in Primary Health Care and education before he became the Director of Education for Primary Health Care in Manchester and Bristol Universities. In 1996 John took up the role of Foundation Chair in Primary Health Care at the Western Sydney University. John is currently the Director of the Men’s Health Information & Resource Centre at the University. An advocate of the Social Determinants of Health, John is also the Chair of the Mt Druitt Shed project that delivers services primarily for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men.
During his career, John has gained advisory and teaching experience in Pakistan, Nicaragua, South Africa, Botswana, Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, India, Hong Kong, Senegal, France, the Netherlands and New Zealand.
Song selection by our guest: Many Rivers to Cross by Jimmy Cliff