A free domino tournament to be held in Leicester next month will help raise awareness of prostate cancer among African Caribbean men.
People from African and African Caribbean communities from Leicester, Oldham and Coventry will compete in the tournament, organised as part of the Health Matters #PlayDominoTalkProstate initiative launched by the Leicester-based Centre for BME Health.
The free event, which also features adult’s walking football, a children’s football tournament and ‘Chat and Plait’ and ‘Mehndi and Mingle’ sessions, will take place at the Highfield Sports and Social Club in Gleneagles Avenue, Leicester on Saturday, 28 September, between 1pm and 8pm.
Pamela Campbell-Morris, a Project Assistant and Community Champion at the Centre for BME Health, said: “We hope that the day will help to raise more awareness, predominantly amongst those of the African and African Caribbean communities, about prostate cancer, obesity and mental health.
“Everyone is invited to this free event which will see a number of organisations joining together to offer support in addressing health inequalities through sports and cultural activities.”
Statistics show one in four African Caribbean men will develop prostate cancer at some point in their lives, compared to one in eight men from other backgrounds.
The activities and information session is supported by the Leicester-based Centre for Black and Minority Ethnic Health East Midlands, the University of Leicester, Prostaid and Prostate Cancer UK as well as the National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) East Midlands.
The Centre for BME Health is working to reduce health inequality in the region by sharing resources and promoting research.
The Centre is funded by the University of Leicester and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) East Midlands.
NIHR CLAHRC East Midlands is a partnership of regional health services, universities and industry which turns research into cost-saving and high-quality care through cutting-edge innovation.
Professor Kamlesh Khunti, who is the Director of the NIHR CLAHRC East Midlands and is also Professor of Primary Care Diabetes and Vascular Medicine at the University of Leicester, said: “We are continually coming up with ways to address the rising trend in the number of prostate cancer deaths.
“Latest figures from Prostate Cancer UK revealed it was responsible for 11,819 male deaths in 2015 compared with 11,442 female deaths from breast cancer – the first time it has overtaken breast cancer deaths in women.”