Story:Vivien Urwodhi
On Thursday the 4th November, the Vestry Hall hosted an event to advise and support men on how to improve their health. About 400 men from Yemeni, Somali and other backgrounds were eager to hear the announcements about living healthier lives.
During the event, attendees were advised how diseases may affect them if they don’t eat the food their body requires. I spoke to a health adviser who said that staying healthy is not just about doing exercise or eating five fruit and vegetables per day but is also about respecting a daily routine of eating healthy food. I have also spoken to one of the African health centre advisers about HIV and AIDS; he said there are about 700 people affected with HIV in Sheffield. He explained that, once diagnosed, people can receive medication and other treatment that enables them to live longer and healthier lives. He also gave examples of some of the poorest countries, which can not afford to maintain the health of the population because of the lack of medication, nutrition and other issues.
There were also other organisations, which provide vouchers for milk, fruit and vegetable for children under 2 years old. And there were free gym packs for smokers over 16 years old who are aiming to quit smoking.
Health Trainer Co-ordinator, Aziz Muthana, said that the event took place because Burngreave has the highest rate of disease in Sheffield. He explained that a key message was to eat healthier: not only can it save people money, it can be beneficial, especially since, as people get older, it decreases the risk of suffering from high blood pressure, heart attacks and other diseases. Men enjoyed a healthy lunch and a free massage and were able to get advice on many health issues.