Don't drop the ball

By the time many men look for help, illness has already begun changing their lives and the lives of those who love them. According to the latest estimates from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Namibian men and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men. IARC estimates that Namibia had 440 new prostate cancer cases and 258 deaths from the disease in 2024.These figures reinforce the importance of helping men recognise symptoms, seek advice earlier and accessappropriate screening or clinical assessment before illness becomes more difficult to treat.Recent Namibian research has also identified barriers to prostate cancer screening that may hinder earlierdetection. A 2025 qualitative study involving 15 men aged 50 to 70 attending oncology and urology services at an intermediate hospital in the Oshana Region identified fear of stigmatisation, lack of knowledge and insufficient access to screening as barriers to screening uptake. Although the study was small and qualitative, its findingsreinforce the need for practical, culturally relevant initiatives that encourage men to seek information, screening and care earlier.MEN OF COURAGEThe Namibian Oncology Centre believes that this pattern can change. NOC has launched Men of Courage, a national movement dedicated to helping more Namibian men act earlier for their health before illness becomes a crisis.“Men of Courage was never created because Namibia needed another awareness campaign,” said StephanieQuarmby, Managing Director of the Namibian Oncology Centre.“It was created because we continue to see the consequences when men arrive too late. Earlier conversations lead to earlier action. Earlier action gives families more options. That is the change we want to help create.”The movement is founded on a simple belief: improving men's health is not the responsibility of healthcare alone. It requires families who ask twice instead of once. Friends who are willing to check in. Employers who create opportunities for men to prioritise their health through education, workplace screenings and supportiveenvironments. Healthcare providers who make it easier for men to take the first step.DON’T DROP THE BALLTo deliver its inaugural campaign, Don't Drop the Ball, NOC has brought together ten partner organisations from across Namibia's healthcare, business, and community sectors, each contributing its own expertise, resources, and reach.The 2026 campaign partners are Cospharm Group, Emcon Consulting Group, ERAD Radiology, Geka Pharma, Green Consulting Engineers CC, PathCare, Rhino Park Private Hospital, SpesCare Namibia, Walvis Bay Corridor Group Wellness, and Welwitschia Private Hospital.Together, NOC and its campaign partners bring expertise in diagnostic imaging, pathology and laboratory services, hospital care, rehabilitation, pharmaceutical care, workplace wellbeing and community outreach. Their combinedexpertise, investment, and networks help extend the movement beyond traditional healthcare settings, creating more opportunities for men to act earlier for their health.Subject to ethics approval, NOC plans to introduce a research component alongside the campaign to betterunderstand the factors influencing how and when Namibian men seek healthcare. The findings are expected to contribute to the wider evidence base on men’s health in Namibia and help strengthen future Men of Courage initiatives.Future Media Namibia supports the campaign as its broadcast partner, helping encourage earlier action through trusted information shared in homes, workplaces, and communities across the country.The Namibian Oncology Centre continues to provide the campaign's clinical leadership, ensuring that all healthinformation, screening pathways, and medical messaging remain evidence-based and patient-centred.Men of Courage will continue to evolve through clinical insight, community engagement and ongoing evaluation,ensuring that future campaigns remain informed by evidence and the lived realities of Namibian men.“Changing men's health begins long before someone walks through the door of a hospital,” Quarmby said.“It begins when checking in on a friend no longer feels unusual. It begins when a father decides to book theappointment he has been putting off. It begins when looking after your health becomes as ordinary as looking after the people you love.”Rather than defining men's health through a single disease or condition, Men of Courage seeks to build a lasting culture where taking care of one's health is understood as an act of responsibility to oneself, one's family, and one's community.Success will ultimately be measured not by the number of organisations involved, but by the number of men whochoose to act earlier for their health. Because healthier men build healthier families. Healthier families build healthier communities. And healthier communities build a healthier Namibia.Did you know?Men of CourageThe initiative is dedicated to helping more Namibian men act earlier for their health.

Don't drop the ball

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Namibian Sun 2026-09-02

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Don't drop the ball

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Namibian Sun 2026-09-02

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