The HEALTH : November 2019 | Page 21

NOVEMBER, 2019 | The HEALTH MEN 21 Unshaved for cancer Will you not be shaving this November to show support for cancer patients? B Y now you must have heard of No- Shave November. If you haven’t, it is an annual awareness campaign against cancer typically aff ecting men. Th e goal is to instil the aware- ness by embracing our hair, which many cancer patients lose, and letting it grow wild and free. Th e money you would save in grooming and shaving would then be used to donate or educate about cancer prevention. The idea for No-Shave November originated in the US, where many cancer foundations have reaped the benefi ts of the public joining the cause. Men’s cancer According to the American Centres for Dis- ease Control and Prevention, the fi ve most common cancer among men are prostate, lung, colorectal, bladder, and melanoma. In Malaysia, however, the most common cancer among men is colorectal cancer with prevalence of 13.2 per cent, as reported by the Malaysian National Registry Report (2207-2011). The most common symptoms of the disease are altered bowel habit, followed by One of our writers, Zaid, is also taking part in No-Shave November. Observe the unruly beard! The beard and moustache has been making a comeback in recent years especially among urban folks, lending to the popularisation of No- Shave November. blood in stool, abdominal pain, weight loss, anaemia and intestinal obstruction. As support for breast cancer among women has been unanimously strong over the years, support for men with cancer is in need of more promotion as well. Cancer is still the number one killer globally and, therefore, awareness and educational campaign must be a continuous eff ort by all governments, organisations, associations, and the public everywhere. Joining in the no-shave fun Th e rules of No-Shave November are simple; In silos, we can achieve things, but if we reach out, work together, we can create miracles. I challenge you to come with a mindset that every person with a mental health disorder can recover and to understand that we all have a role to play. This will be a radical learning process for Malaysia. Puan Anita Abu Bakar, President and Founder of MIASA. INQUIRIES: 03-77322414 / 014-2236938 013 - 3336458 Email : miasa.imhrc2019@gmail.com MIASA Malaysia miasa.malaysia MIASAMalaysia www.miasa.org.my Organized by : Supporting Partner : put down your razor for 30 days and donate your monthly hair maintenance expenses to any cancer centre near you. And don’t worry if you have a strict dress code at work! You can still participate even if you need to trim and groom your hair and beard. Just save as much as you can in your shaving spending and donate. Even RM1 can help if a thousand people do it, no? Fighting the good fi ght Th e no-shaving part of the whole thing is just a way for people to have fun in helping cancer patients around the world. Donate as much as you can to wherever your money can be made good for, and let’s support each other regardless of what month it is! — Th e Health ORGANIZER S U P P O RT I N G PA RT N E R SPONSORS M E D I A PA RT N E R S