A new program is attempting to turn that around, offering incentives to a test group of local men to go have health checks.

The men will be given a ‘passport to health’, organised by the Nambucca Valley Men’s Health and Wellbeing Group, which is made up of representatives from MiiMi, the Men’s Shed, the Living Carefully project, North Coast TAFE and the Nambucca Valley Neighbourhood Centre.

The passport will give men a range of incentives to see the GP. Once their passport has been activated, by seeing a GP for health checks, they will then be entitled to a range of discounts and special offers from local companies.

The passport will target men aged from 45 to 65 who have not seen a doctor in more than two years.

In this age group, a number of conditions can be detected that, with early treatment, give men more positive health outcomes in the long term.

“This project recognises that five men die every hour in Australia due to preventable diseases,” the Nambucca Valley Neighbourhood Centre’s Paul Sekfy said.

“Research shows that men aged 45 to 65 are less likely to have health checks.

“The project will test the hypothesis that men are more likely to participate in health services when provided with a motivational pathway.”

The project was officially launched yesterday (21st) with a group of 10 participants. The results will be looked at early in 2010.

If successful, the group would then look at ways to continue or expand the program into the future.