Each year in Australia more than 4 men die every hour from conditions that are potentially preventable – that’s 41,000 men a year!

Foundation 49: Men’s Health is a direct response to this health crisis affecting 49% of the population and is dedicated to improving the health status of men across each decade of life. At all ages men experience higher mortality rates than women for cancers, diabetes mellitus, and diseases of the circulatory system. 74% of alcohol related deaths occur in men and more than two thirds of Australian men are overweight or obese. 1 in 8 men experience depression at some stage in their life.

Significant health problems such as high blood pressure, type 2diabetes, heart disease, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, infertility, colon cancer and depression, could be detected and treated more effectively if men’s awareness of these problems was greater.

Through education of men, their partners, families, employers, communities and government, an opportunity exists to improve the current health status of men.

Foundation 49: Men’s Health (formerly known as the Tony Hitchin Foundation) was established in the memory of Tony Hitchin, editor of Home Beautiful and ultimately, editor of all Herald & Weekly Times magazines. Tony Hitchin was diagnosed with a urological malignancy in 1988 after a routine medical examination and sadly passed away in 2001. During this period, he took every opportunity to raise awareness of men’s health and the need for men to put aside their fear of going to the doctor and have regular check-ups.

Foundation 49: Men’s Health was set up in Tony’s memory to promote education and research into Men’s Health.

Foundation 49: Men’s Health is managed and administered within the framework of the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. Foundation 49: Men’s Health is a not-for-profit men’s health promotion organisation and is funded through donations, fundraising activities and philanthropic grants. Funds raised are used to produce the health promotion resources including the Whole New Ball Game magazine, the Men’s Health Toolkit booklet, the Community Grants, website and other health promotion activities and programs.

Since Foundation 49: Men’s Health began in 2001 a great deal has been achieved in the development of new approaches to men’s health and men’s health promotion.

Foundation 49: Men’s Health has achieved:

• development of the Decades of Life program 
• publication of a quarterly men’s health magazine - A Whole New Ball Game’ since 2006
• publication of the Men’s Health Tool Kit booklet 
• delivery of the Community Grants Program
• men’s health information sessions in the community and the workplace 
• two years as a service provider for Work Health in Victoria
• Foundation 49: Men’s Health was integral in the development of the National Male Health Policy and the Victorian Male Health Strategy
• ongoing education of the public through our website

Foundation 49: Men’s Health continues to be the organisation in Australia where men can go to get clear and consistent, quality information, endorsed by medical experts, on men’s general health issues. By focusing on health promotion and the importance of annual health checks, Foundation 49: Men’s Health is filling the gap which exists in the men’s health environment today.

Foundation 49: Men’s Health relies on the generosity of the community through philanthropic support to achieve our goals as we do not receive any government funding for our work.

All funds raised through Foundation 49: Men’s Health fundraising initiatives go directly toward the funding of future men’s health promotion and research initiatives.

To those who support the activities of Foundation 49: Men’s Health we are very grateful.  We are particularly indebted to our patron, ambassadors, corporate sponsors and philanthropic donors for their continued and ongoing support of our work.