By K. NANCOO-RUSSELL

Freeport News Reporter

krystal@nasguard.com

Important information concerning health issues was disseminated to a number of men yesterday during the Grand Bahama Health Services' first annual Men's Health Seminar.

The event was held at the Foster B. Pestaina Centre and was aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles through education.

Hospital administrator Sharon Williams said the idea was to encourage physical and mental health among men so that they can live happier and fuller lives.

She explained that the forum was a part of an ongoing men's health initiative being put forth by the Ministry of Health.

"We're very excited about the turnout and we are going to make sure that they get the information that is required for healthy living to improve the status of themselves and their families," she said.

"We want to be able to equip them with information that they can share with other males and with the skills to communicate effectively with other males to encourage them to come in and seek information for healthy lifestyles."

Among the presenters were Dr. V. Pandey who spoke about chronic illnesses in men and Nathalie Duncombe who addressed erectile dysfunction.

Dr. Kelafo Collie's presentation was on depression in men, Dr. Leviticus Rolle's on prostate cancer and Dr. Kevin Bethel's on low testosterone levels.

There was also a special talk on the topic "Romancing Your Wife," given by Valentine Johnson.

Williams noted that the success of any country is dependent on the health of its workforce, and said it was important for males to take their health seriously.

"No matter where in the world, we expect the men to lead the country, to lead the efforts. Yes, the women are present in our society in leadership roles but the expectation still is there for the focus to be on the men of our nation," he said.

"We're finding that the men of most nations are dying years earlier than women. The statistics show that they have the highest rates in all of the leading causes of death at this moment. So we're trying to focus on our community to make sure that our males have the information so they can plan a healthier lifestyle for themselves."

She encouraged persons interested in learning more about men's health issues to contact the Grand Bahama Health Services for information about upcoming programs.