Vision
All male residents made aware of their role in the family and given access to reproductive health services.
Mission To include men in all family planning and reproductive health decisions that will promote the overall health of men.
Overview Traditionally, it was believed that men had little or no genuine interests in health issues, especially reproductive health and family planning. Perhaps as a result of this belief (and no doubt further compounding it), many health services and programmes have not been perceived as “male friendly”. Fortunately, the misconceptions regarding male involvement in health are changing. Men are partners in reproduction; therefore they must play a significant role in family planning programmes. The Ministry of Health recognises that:
§ Males are more interested in health and health information than is often assumed, and, as such, cannot be
excluded from or denied the right to all health services, including reproductive health and family planning services.
§ Men have their own health needs and often these are not met in or at the traditional, established facilities.
§ Males, especially adolescents, need to be more aware of their sexual health and responsibility.
The Male Health Initiative, a component of the Ministry of Health’s Family Planning & Reproductive Health Programme, was launched in response to a call sounded at the International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo) 1994, for the greater involvement of males in reproductive health.
The needs of males must be addressed and must become a matter of urgency to ensure the success of our efforts in family planning and population control and preserve the integrity of the family unit. The Male Health Initiative is a vehicle that should strengthen and further propel this change. <<see more>>
Contact Us
Poncianna Hill Building, Meeting Street
The Department of Public Health
P. O. Box N-3730
Nassau, The Bahamas
Telephone: 502-4835, Fax: 502-4874
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