The Movember Foundation was founded in Melbourne, Australia in 2003, and it runs countless Movember charity events worldwide throughout the year.

The Foundation’s most famous event is the Movember campaign, which is an annual event where men grow out their moustaches throughout November. The objective of the Movember campaign is to promote support for, and improve, men’s health.

Today, we will be talking about the history of the Movember Foundation and the Movember campaign, and why they are both so important for supporting better health outcomes among men.

History of Movember

It all began in 2003. Two buddies, Travis Garone and Luke Slattery wanted to bring the moustache "mo" back into fashion. They decided to get the support of their friends and grow their moustaches out together.

The duo were largely influenced by a friend’s mother who was a fundraiser for breast cancer and thus, decided to dedicate the Mo campaign to men’s health and prostate cancer. The Movember campaign started with 30 Mo Bros and it grew in 2004 to raise funds and donate to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA).

In 2007, with the continuous tremendous support and enthusiasm of Mo Bros and Mo Sistas globally, the founders of Movember knew that it was time to take the campaign to the next level. One of the founders, Adam, relocated to Los Angeles to launch the US and Canadian Movember campaign in partnership with The Prostate Cancer Foundation and Prostate Cancer Canada.

To this day, the Movember movement has brought together more than 5 million Mo Bros and Mo Sistas and funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects from all over the world. During the 2020 pandemic, Movember supporters raised $135 million worldwide.

You can read more about the origin story of Movember on their website.

What is Movember's Mission?

The Movember Foundation aims to improve men’s health globally. For a significant and an everlasting impact, Movember chose to focus on the three biggest health issues faced by men. They are mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. Movember Foundation collaborates with world experts on projects that improve, treat and support the physical and mental health of men.

The Movember Foundation exists to help men live happier, healthier and longer lives. This is the driving force of every single men’s health project that they have funded. They are a transparent and accountable organisation that reports every project openly so that Mo Bros and Mo Sistas can see how their support is changing men’s lives from all over the world. Click on the following link for more information on all the projects that they have funded.

To reach their goals, The Movember Foundation requires strong partnerships at all levels of government, research and society. Sharing knowledge across borders allows The Movember Foundation to extend their reach and progress faster. To learn more about The Movember Foundation’s knowledge translation framework, head to their website.

Men and Mental Health

One in eight Australian men will experience depression and one in five men will experience anxiety in their lifetime. Seven out of every nine suicides that occur every day in Australia are men. The total number of men who die by suicide is estimated to be twice the national road toll.

Men are used to bottling up their feelings. Trying to overcome stress when feeling low and without support can increase the risk of depression and anxiety. These mental illnesses can be unrecognised, undiagnosed and so left untreated. Depression is one of the highest risk factors for suicide, and it is a major contributing factor in the difference in suicide rates between men and women.

The Movember Foundation supports better mental health outcomes among men by helping them to establish better social connections and to have open conversations with their loved ones about big changes in their life. Movember Australia has collaborated with local health partners on various mental health and suicide prevention projects, which you can learn more about on their website.

Men and Cancer

Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer diagnosed among Australian men. An estimated 20,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. One in 7 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer by the age of 75. The main causes of prostate cancer are age, genetics and family history. The survival rate of the first year with prostate cancer is 95%.

Testicular cancer is the second most common cancer among young Australian men aged between 18 and 39 years. 9 out of 10 men can be cured if they receive medical treatment. Some causes of testicular cancer include undescended testicles, genetics, family history and previous history of testicular cancer.

The Movember Foundation aims to tackle prostate and testicular cancer by collaborating with cancer researchers and experts from around the world to develop breakthroughs in early detection, diagnosis, treatment and support. The Movember Foundation also shares their successes and failures with the scientific community. That way, they don't duplicate research and can obtain results faster for men in need. More information about their cancer research and support services can be found on their website.

How You Can Get Involved

There are many ways that you can support The Movember Foundation, including:

• Grow a moustache: Raise funds and awareness for men’s health.
• Move for Movember: Run or walk 60km in November for the 60 men that are lost to suicide every hour in the world.
• Host a Mo-ment: Gather your friends, family, or work mates and host an in person or virtual event.
• Mo your own way: Choose your own adventure challenge.
• Sign up and take part in their Movember challenges.
• Attend Movember events, including barefoot bowls and golf days!

To join the Movember community, simply download the official Movember app.

Final Thoughts

Support The Movember Foundation by participating in their Movember campaign. Grow a ‘Mo’ to improve mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer for men globally.

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