"Men are facing a health crisis that isn’t being talked about. We have to make a stand and stop men dying too young, before their time," says Garron Gsell, chief executive and founder of the Men’s Foundation, which manages the Movember campaign in South Africa under license from the Movember Foundation.

The Movember Foundation funds over 1 200 men’s health projects in 21 countries worldwide – focused on men’s health initiatives, suicide prevention, and testicular and prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer rates will double in the next 15 years. Testicular cancer rates have already doubled in the last 50 years, while three-quarters of suicides are men. In South Africa, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death, while male suicide accounts for approximately 18 deaths a day.

Currently, men in South Africa have a life expectancy that is seven years shorter than that of women. The Men’s Foundation aims to reduce the number of men dying prematurely by 25% by 2030.

"We have a long way to go until no man dies of these diseases. Our sons, partners, fathers, brothers, and friends are facing these challenges, and we need your help," adds Gsell.

The Movember Foundation encourages men and women to participate this Movember and to 'be the difference in a man’s life'. Participants can do this by taking a walk, running, cycling, swimming, or rowing.

"The current reality is that government funding primarily focuses on women, children, and the elderly, and there are very good reasons for this," Gsell says. "What that means is that if we want to help men, then we have to rely on the private and public sectors to donate and invest in programmes that will make a difference."

In South Africa, the Men’s Foundation is developing its own programmes, as well as collaborating with its beneficiary partners and the Prostate Cancer Foundation to identify, develop, and fund men’s survivorship and research programmes that meet the global objectives of the Movember Foundation.

Individuals can get involved by signing up as a 'Mo Bro' or 'Mo Sista', growing a moustache, showing support, taking the MOVE 100 challenge, hosting and attending an event, or by helping spread awareness and education about men’s health.

Here's how to take action:

  • Sign up to help raise awareness. Grow a moustache for 30 days, host and attend an event, or MOVE to fundraise at www.za.movember.com;
  • Start a team, get the people in the workplace to join;
  • Set a fundraising target. Create a JustGiving page so supporters will be able to find it;
  • MOVE for men’s health; and
  • Women are encouraged to help men MOVE for the month. Get creative in the workplace.

Taking moustaches to the next level:

  • Sport a classic moustache. From the Lame Mo to the Handlebar, select a choice from the moustache guide;
  • Style it. Trim it. Keep it neat;
  • Dedicate moustaches to someone who has been impacted by cancer; and
  • Auction off moustaches to the highest donor. 

Movember is ranked 49th out of the top 500 NGOs (non-governmental organisations) around the world and is the largest non-governmental funder of men’s health programmes globally.

To date, Movember has raised over R6-billion worldwide to deliver innovative research and support programmes that aim to enable men to live happier, healthier, and longer lives.

In South Africa, Movember is grown and groomed by The Men's Foundation of South Africa under license from the International Movember Foundation. The Men’s Foundation is developing and implementing global programmes, as well as their own programmes, while working with local beneficiary partners, to identify, develop, and fund men’s survivorship and research programmes that meet the global objectives of the Movember Foundation.

Since 2010, over R25-million has been donated to the Cancer Association of South Africa through local Movember efforts. These funds have been invested in a Patient Navigation Programme, Cancer Cohort Programme, and an online patient support centre. Iron Man, its biggest single investment in one programme, will be launched in the coming weeks.

Get involved by:

  • Signing up as a 'Mo Bro' or 'Mo Sista' at www.movember.com. Start a team at work or join a team and choose to grow or MOVE for the month. Include fundraising targets or move targets for support and donations; 
  • Growing? Begin Wednesday, 1 November with a clean-shaven face. For the entire month of Movember, grow and groom a real moustache – don’t fake it;
  • MOVE’íng Mo Bros and Mo Sista’s – begin Wednesday, 1 November with a daily, weekly, and monthly challenge. For example, climb 100 steps a day or 100km’s a month;
  • Using the power of the MOVE commitment or Mo-growing efforts, create conversations around men’s health, and raise funds; and
  • Follow fundraising efforts on the leaderboards, which close early December for prizing and rewards.

For more information, visit www.za.movember.com. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.