The 8th Conference of the Asia Pacific Society for Men's Health and Aging, "Healthy Men, Happy Family" opened today in the Ministry of Health. WHO provided technical and financial support to the conference. In his speech addressing academics, researchers, doctors and scientists from many various countries including Korea, China and Germany, Dr Woojin Lew, the Senior Programme Coordinator of WHO Representative's Office in Mongolia stressed the importance of the topic all over the world and particularly in Mongolia where men live 10 years shorter than women. Thus, according to 2014 statistics, if women’s average life expectancy in Mongolia is 75-76 years men’s is only 66 years. “It’s a serious gap and a situation that needs to be addressed. This gap is much higher than the world’s average of 3-6 years in live expectancies of women and men, women living longer. Hence a question: “Why this gap?” would be the first one to answer. And the answer is strikingly simple: Mongolian men are significantly more exposed to risk factors for dying,” said Dr Woojin Lew.
Numbers talk for themselves: according to the 2013 STEPS survey results, almost half of men in Mongolia smoke versus 5 percent of women-smokers. The same survey showed that one in two men and one in four women drink. As a result prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, hypertension and diabetes is higher in the Mongolian men. One in three traffic injuries take place due to speeding and almost one in ten due to drunk driving, a behaviour much more common among men. Hence the prevalence of road traffic injuries is much higher in men. According to the STEPS survey 49 percent of Mongolian men are overweight or obese due to unhealthy diets and lack of exercise.
“When it comes to communicable diseases the situation isn’t different,” says Dr Woojin Lew. “Prevalence of TB is 4-5 times higher in men compared to women. Syphilis is steadily increasing among male clients and 75 percent of HIV positive people are men who have sex with men. This combination of risk factors has a negative impact on life expectancy and quality of life of men in Mongolia.”
Thirty three scientific papers were presented at the conference that was divided into four large sessions: general health and aging in Asia Pacific men, infertility and sexual function, andrology and urology, and oncology and urology. “The conference has broadly covered all disciplines related to men’s health and aging enabling scientific interactions and nurturing future collaborations to improve men’s health and overall health services in the countries of Asia Pacific region,” said Dr Nansalmaa Naidan, the Conference Chair and co-organizer and the President of the Mongolian Society for Sexual Medicine.
Alongside with highly scientific papers in the fields of molecular biology, urology and andrology general studies of men’s risk behaviours and surveys on community health and social services available to sexuality minority men in Mongolia were presented at the conference.
The conference offered a clear take home messages to the public, men in particular: all it takes to live longer and happier is change of lifestyles and quitting harmful habits like smoking, excessive drinking, physical inactivity and drunk driving.
“WHO’s main focus area is strengthening sub-national health systems particularly at the primary health care and community levels for improved early screening, diagnosis and case management. However WHO advocates prevention over treatment -- it's always better to prevent from getting ill, than be treated after falling sick. For the health system, prevention is always cheaper than treatment,” said Dr Woojin Lew.
WHO recommends to quit smoking, decrease alcohol intake, consume at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, exercise at least 30 minutes every day and practice safe driving. These simple but life-saving messages are relevant not only to men but to the entire population.
In 2014 the Minister of Heath and Sports of Mongolia approved the National Strategy to Promote Men’s Health. The Strategy gave a notable leverage in promotion of men’s health in the health sector and in the society in general.
“WHO’s policy on boys and men is directed to building men’s support and ensuring their meaningful or responsive engagement for gender equality and health equity from community to policy making levels. This policy needs to be better reflected in the National Strategy and national and local governments’ action plans,” said Naranchimeg Jamyanjamts, the technical officer in charge of non-communicable diseases with WHO Representative’s Office in Mongolia.
Hosting the 8th Conference of the Asia Pacific Society for Men's Health and Aging in Mongolia this year was a part of a successful implementation of this Strategy. The conference was co-organized by the Ministry of Health, Public Health Institute, National Gerontology Centre and the Mongolian Society for Sexual Medicine with WHO support. The conference followed a one-day symposium of health workers in Mongolia on “Health Problem in Mongolian Men”.
