Bank of Valletta has dedicated the month of November to raise awareness about the Movember promotion. This promotion is a worldwide effort aimed at generating awareness about health issues that are particular to the men.

Various initiatives were undertaken throughout the month, starting off with colouring the BOV Centre with a tinge of blue and asking all BOV employees to wear a lapel pin to commemorate this effort. In addition, all staff members were provided with a fake moustache and asked to take a team photo.

Speaking about the initiative, Charles Azzopardi, executive PR and marketing at Bank of Valletta, said: “Bank of Valletta has been supporting the Pink October campaign for a number of years now, during which we have witnessed an increased awareness about breast cancer and its detection.

We look forward to continuing this collaboration

“Awareness about male health issues is much weaker by comparison. Global statistics show that men die an average of six years younger than women for reasons that can be largely preventable; this is an alarming loss. Thus, this year, our team decided to start promoting this campaign, starting with our own people,” he said.

The climax of this campaign was reached on November 27, when Bank of Valletta organised a workshop entitled Let’s Talk Men’s Health which was also open to members of the public.

Speakers on the panel included Joseph Grech, practice nurse from the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate, who gave an overview of the different health issues generally associated with men, including heart disease and suicides, as well as practical tips to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Another presentation was delivered by Pierre Vassallo, who gave an overview of testicular and prostate cancer, explainingearly symptoms and the related treatments.

Andrew Grech, who set up the Malta Male Cancer Awareness Group, after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, shared his experience. Likewise did Matthew Towns, a 35-year-old professional goalkeeper and football coach.

Both testimonials emphasised the importance of speaking up about these issues and immediately visiting a general practitioner.

“This was the first step in a journey that we hope will continue to grow year on year and gain momentum. We look forward to continuing this collaboration. We thank the speakers who contributed their time and shared their very personal experiences in a bid to help others avoid similar experiences,” said Mr Azzopardi.