Breaking the Silence: Men Talk Health at National Forum

Let’s face it, when it comes to health, especially mental health, many men still find it hard to open up. But that’s exactly what the Belize Cancer Society is trying to change. Today, in honor of Men’s Health Awareness Month, they hosted their second annual Men’s Health Forum, a safe space where men could speak freely, ask questions, and support each other. News Five’s Paul Lopez stopped by the Old Belize Pavilion, where the conversation was real, the energy was positive, and the message was resounding, it’s okay to talk about your health.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

In a society where men still shy away from doctor visits or even basic checkups, the Belize Cancer Society is working to change that. Today, they hosted the second annual Men’s Health Forum, an event designed to get men talking, learning, and taking charge of their well-being. Held at the Old Belize Pavilion, the forum offered everything from open discussions to quick health screenings. One highlight was a simple blood type test, just a QR code scan, a short form, and a painless finger prick. In less than a minute, results were sent straight to your phone. And from the podium, cancer survivor Anwar Barrow shared his powerful story, reminding everyone in the room why these conversations matter.

 

Anwar Barrow, Cancer Survivor

“I think that social norm in society is for men to endure, to be strong, and to be less talkative and emotional, and I understand that. But when it comes to health, talking about it and sharing it helps to break down that barrier of people going to the doctor. Nobody likes to go to the doctor. I don’t like to go to the doctor regardless of how much I have been there through the course of my life. The easier we can make it to accept that the better the treatment rates and survival rates will be for disease across the board, I would think.”

 

Also stepping up to the mic today was someone who’s no stranger to the medical world, Dr. Jorge Hidalgo. He’s well known for his work in healthcare, but today, he wore a different hat, that of a cancer survivor. In a room full of men, Dr. Hidalgo shared his personal journey, opening up about the challenges he faced and the strength it took to get through them.

 

Dr. Jorge Hidalgo, Cancer Survivor

“Among men that is usually the case. We try to delay things and say I am going to do this, probably next year and when you are fifty and we get afraid. When we reach thirty we say, I am getting old. When we reach forty we say, I am getting older and when we reach fifty we are complete afraid. I reached fifty and at that point no problems, but just immediately after that I faced the diagnosis. Things can happen at any time. If we do those preventative measure, it would allow us to catch things earlier and it will give us the opportunity for better survival and options of treatment.”

 

Hidalgo and Barrow believe that being open and proactive, especially when it comes to early checkups, can make a real difference in treatment and survival. After beating cancer as a child, Barrow adopted simple habits to stay healthy: yearly blood tests, eating well, and making daily walks part of his routine.

 

Anwar Barrow

“I have looked at the Belizean diet informally quite carefully, because we have an epidemic of hypertension, diabetes, and all these different diseases which are really driven by diet. We need to focus on looking at reducing the amount of oil and sauces. These are the main things driving the calories and poor health. It is not the potato and rice and carbs that people thing in moderation. It is really the mayonnaise in the potato salad. It is the gravy on the rice. Ketchup not so bad, but the grenaches being fried.”

 

We also heard from key stakeholders in today’s men forum, including the president of the Belize Cancer Society, Kim Simplis-Barrow and PAHO Advisor Karen Roberts.

 

Kim Simplis-Barrow, President, Belize Cancer Society

“This is the second year we are hosting the men forum. For us at the Belize Cancer Society it is very important for us to address some of the difficulties that men faces when they are journeying through cancer or whatever health issues they may have. It is a space for men to talk about the different issues.”

 

Karen Roberts, Advisor, PAHO Belize

“PAHO is happy to be associated with the second year of this activity geared at encouraging men to take more responsibility for their health and more particularly in the areas of cancer prevention, screening , early detection, treatment and the whole issue of survivor care for men who might already be sick. We feel men need to do more in taking care of their own health.”

 

The women in attendance were excused from the forum after the opening ceremony to create a space for sensitive conversations among men. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.