By: Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
Caribbean men are living three to four years less than women due to sedentary lifestyles and preventable health conditions — a growing crisis that demands immediate attention. This warning comes from Dr. Mahendra Carpen, Presidential Advisor on Science and Health Care Modernisation.
Speaking at a Men’s Wellness Symposium hosted by the Rotary Club of Schoonord in observance of International Men’s Day, Dr. Carpen urged men to take responsibility for their mental, physical, and social well-being.
He highlighted that men are twice as likely as women to suffer premature death.
Dr. Carpen identified cardiovascular disease, liver disease, lung cancer, and motor vehicle accidents as the leading causes behind shortened male life expectancy. He added that many men work in high-risk jobs, often without proper safety practices, and avoid routine medical checkups.
“Men in the Caribbean have a three to four-year shorter lifespan than women… Prevention is better than cure,” he emphasized.
The advisor also noted the region’s troubling suicide rate among men and urged them to abandon the belief that they should only visit the doctor when severely ill.
Rafi Kazim, Assistant District Governor for Rotary Guyana, called on men to play stronger roles within families and communities:
“Each of you can help build a Guyana with men of character, empathy, integrity, and resilience.”
Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindra Prashad, in her feature remarks, addressed the worrying rise in domestic violence and murder-suicide cases involving men.
“We are seeing men killing women and then committing suicide… We need to understand the triggers,” she said.
Dr. Prashad announced that the government is developing a new Partner Assault Relationship Programme, which will introduce preventative strategies to foster healthier relationships.
