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Why men?

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.

History

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.

Achievements

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.

A note of thanks...

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.

 

Foundation 49: Men's Health Council

 

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Chair: Chris White

Chris White is a business owner and recreational running coach with public health in his roots.  Chris founded GoRun Australia in 2015, however prior to that worked in public health teams in the UK, Belgium and Australia for over 10 years, working on public health research, funding, advocacy and partnerships.  He also represented a range of European public health not for profit organisations at Board level.  Chris is a passionate runner and health advocate who successfully ran 17 marathons in 2017 around Australia, raising over $18,000 for the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. 
Gary Richardson Image            

Associate Professor Gary Richardson OAM

Gary is the Director of the Cabrini Academic Haematology and Oncology Service, and Associate Professor of Medicine, Monash University. He is also President of the Private Cancer Physicians of Australia, and Deputy Chairman, Medical Oncology Group of Australia. Gary has extensively published in the field of lung cancer and is currently the principal investigator of fourteen clinical trials spanning the fields of breast, ovarian, lung and colorectal cancers. Gary was the founding Chair of Foundation 49: Men's Health since its inception in 2001.
Neale Cohen  

Associate Professor Neale Cohen

Associate Professor Neale Cohen is the General Manager of Diabetes Services at Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. He is an endocrinologist and has practised at the Baker Institute for over 17 years. His research interests include insulin pump therapy and diabetic complications.
Doug Lording tn  

Associate Professor Doug Lording

Doug is an Endocrinologist and Andrologist in practice at Cabrini. He has worked in male health for over 30 years, particularly in relation to hormonal and sexual medicine. He is a board member of Andrology Australia and an Adjunct Professor of medicine at Monash University. Doug has been associated with Foundation 49: Men's Health since its inception in 2001.
 Bernie Marshall   Professor Bernard Marshall

Bernard is the Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning) in the Faculty of Health at Deakin University and is responsible for the overall teaching and learning program across the five schools in the Faculty, with a major focus on quality improvement and effective teaching and learning practice. He teaches in public health and health promotion at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He has previously worked in curriculum development in the Department of Education and the Victorian Occupational and Safety Commission. He has also had extensive experience in health promotion research and consultancy over many years, particularly in relation to health promotion workforce capacity building and school health promotion.