A new program fixated on men's health in the B.C. north hopes to replicate the success of a similar program focused on road safety.
The program is a Northern Health initiative. The region's heath authority is offering up to 15 seed grants of $1,000 each to communities across the north to foster the goals of the Men's Health Program:
- To build a coalition of men's health groups that will provide sustainable programs, services, and activities that promote healthy eating and safe, active living for men in the north;
- To create knowledge networks across the north that promotes new and innovative health promotion tools and techniques;
- To showcase people and organizations working in the north to improve men's health in local communities;
- To create linkages between industry partners and the men's health program.
"[It is] modelled after the award-winning road health initiative that brought partners together to successfully reduce rates of motor vehicle crash-related deaths and injuries," said Northern Health spokeswoman Eryn Collins. "Men's Health seed grants can be used to build on existing relationships between community-based organizations, businesses, industry partners, faith and cultural organizations and service clubs, or to launch new partnerships."
This is the next step in a process that started in November when then-chief medical health officer Dr. David Bowering released a report on the health and well-being of men and boys in the region.
"The report recognized the need to build stronger links to communities, since so much of what determines health outcomes for men and boys happens in the community rather than the health care setting," Collins said. "The grants are available to community partners who can establish and sustain local men's health groups that will feed into a larger, region-wide Men's Health Coalition."
To learn more about this new grant opportunity or to obtain a copy of the Terms of Reference and Application, interested parties can call (250) 645-6348 or send an email to [email protected].
