Minister Shaves off Trademark Mo for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
The Minister for Indigenous Health, Warren Snowdon, has had no choice but to shave off his trademark moustache after Queensland’s peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health body raised $10,000 for Movember.
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1 December 2011
The Minister for Indigenous Health, Warren Snowdon, has had no choice but to shave off his trademark moustache after Queensland’s peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health body raised $10,000 for Movember.
Last month Mr Snowdon accepted a challenge from the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC), to face the razor if their team produced $10,000 in donations.
Called IUIH MoBros, the team featured sports stars Steve Renouf and Ian Lacey, and QAIHC’s CEO Selwyn Button.
“While I foolishly took on this group, and I’ll loose my whiskers, I’m pleased that $10,110 had been raised to help lift the profile of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander male health.
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander males experience depression and different forms of cancer at rates well above the national average and that’s not commonly understood,” Mr Snowdon said.
“The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported last year that depression affects more than 31 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, with even higher rates experienced by those who were removed from their families, and who suffer racism and discrimination.”
Mr Snowdon, who has ministerial responsibility for male health, previously shaved his moustache off for Movember two years ago, raising about $10,000 on that occasion.
“In 2009 I shaved my moustache off for only the third time since I was 19. I think I scared my children and unfortunately it grew back grey.”
“My vanity aside, Movember is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the seriousness of men’s health and depression in a light-hearted way,” he said.
All the money raised from Movember, including that raised by the IUIH MoBros team, will go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and beyondblue, the national depression initiative.
In May last year, the Australian Government launched Australia’s first-ever National Male Health Policy to encourage men of all ages to take action to improve their own health while making a commitment to bolster the information, assistance and support available to help them.
To complement the policy, the Australian Government provided funding to establish 13 new parenting programs called Strong Fathers, Strong Families for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men.
Most of the organisations which received funding are in operation, and promoting stronger and prouder involvement in parenting by boosting the knowledge, skills and confidence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males in their roles as fathers, grandfathers and other significant male relatives in children’s lives.
Media contacts:
For more information, contact Mr Snowdon’s office (02) 6277 7820
QAHIC: Judi Jabour 0457 833 896
Photos will be available from Minister Snowdon’s Office.
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