The month of September has been designated Prostate Cancer Awareness Month by the Lions Club of Gros-Islet (LCGI).

The LCGI, which has served the communities of Grand-Riviere, Monchy, and Gros-Islet for over 29 years has committed to undertaking a month of engagement and sensitization of community members, hoping to encourage persons to get tested for prostate cancer, as part of their annual health checkups.

Prostate cancer has become one of the most common significant cancers striking as many as one in six men. Saint Lucia’s ageing population and socio-economic constraints can further compromise survival and quality of life if early detection is not found.

The month of activities organized by the Lions Club of Gros Islet, will include the sharing of posters and hosting of discussions at social meeting spaces frequented by men and women. The LCGI will also mount a social media-based awareness campaign to facilitate wider outreach.

Commenting on the month of activities, President of the Lions Club of Gros Islet, Mr. Noorani Azeez stated: “Prostate diseases can account for significant health problems in our society of ageing men and we must encourage early detection as a strategy to mitigate the risks and complications associated with prostate cancer.

“While older men may be at increased risk, it is certainly not a disease exclusively associated with old men,” he said.