Movember Invests $4.9 Million Into 18 Grants Addressing Health Inequities in Prostate Cancer Care

Canada will see a total of $2.1 million invested in six programs

/EIN News/ -- TORONTO, Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Movember is proud to announce its latest prostate cancer investment of over $4.9 million. Eighteen grants (16 proposals and 2 community development grants) that are directly tackling inequities in prostate cancer care are receiving funding over three years. The grants are spread across five countries – six in Canada, five in the United Kingdom, three in Australia, three in the United States and one in Ireland – each having a specific focus population and care area.

Income, education, geographical location, and discrimination based on ethnicity, race, gender and sexual orientation, are only a fraction of factors that can negatively affect a person’s quality of cancer care. This is defined as the “equity gap” and it’s costing people their lives.

“We’re living in a time of amazing advancements in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and care. Though, the reality is that who you are and where you live dictates the quality of care you receive,” says Kris Bennett, Director of Prostate Cancer Health Equity at Movember. “To address these inequities, head on, each grant funded by Movember will target one or more key populations that are culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD), rural and remote, LGBTQIA+, First Nations and Indigenous, Black and Caribbean men or people of low socio-economic status.”

Targeted outreach programs will help provide education and empower historically and intentionally excluded communities, using community stakeholders and voices to build trust. Collaborations with healthcare providers, academic institutions, and community-based organizations will share resources and expertise to develop tailored solutions.

“The community partnerships are a key component to enable these projects to identify important gaps in cancer outcomes and to inform meaningful interventions and strategies that improve equity,” says Sarah Weller, Global Director of Prostate Cancer at Movember. “These comprehensive efforts will aim to ensure that all people with a prostate have access to essential information, support, and treatment.”

To ensure the grant recipients reflected the unique needs and priorities of local communities, review panels were held in each participating country (Australia, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom). These panels brought together diverse perspectives, including those of Movember community members with lived experience, health equity advocates, and subject matter experts.

Movember recognizes that centring the voices of those closest to the challenges being addressed is essential to advancing health equity. Community voices provide invaluable insights into the barriers, opportunities, and unmet needs within their populations—insights that are often overlooked without intentional engagement. This approach not only strengthens the impact of our funding but also ensures our initiatives align with the lived realities and priorities of the communities we serve.

Canadian Funding Details
Canada received the highest amount of funding ($2.1 million) to be invested in four successful grant proposals and two community development grants. The community development grants are designed to support projects/organizations that address disparities in prostate cancer outcomes among historically and intentionally excluded communities. These grants will aim to improve access to quality care, enhance support resources, and reduce inequities in health outcomes.

One grant recipient is the University of Alberta whose grant will focus on Alberta’s Indigenous population addressing the inequity of access to new prostate cancer care knowledge.

A recent study found that men in Indigenous communities were half as likely to have PSA screenings performed compared to men living outside of Indigenous communities (32 vs 46 PSA tests per 100 men aged 50 – 70, within a year)¹. This study also found that among 6,049 Albertan men diagnosed with prostate cancer, Indigenous men had more aggressive tumor characteristics compared to non-Indigenous men. This grant’s goal is to enhance education, awareness, and screening in rural Indigenous communities, to detect prostate cancer earlier to prevent advanced cases.

Dalhousie University is another successful recipient whose funding will have a national reach aiding multiple populations (Black men/men of African and Caribbean descent, rural/remote men, Indigenous men, LGBTQIA+ people) to transform their prostate cancer care through communities of empowerment. These communities will be dedicated networks that promote awareness, encourage screening, offer support and enhance the overall health of underserved populations facing prostate cancer.

The facts are clear, and these populations need specific programming to close the inequity gap.

• Black men of African or Caribbean ancestry have almost double the risk of developing prostate cancer compared to non-Black men.²
• Rural and Indigenous populations in Canada face unique healthcare access challenges, resulting in lower prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing rates, later-stage diagnoses, and reduced quality of life post-treatment.³
• Gay and bisexual men with prostate cancer receive variable but often low social support from their social network. After diagnosis, many men reported seeking information and emotional support from prostate cancer support groups, but many wanted support groups specifically for gay and bisexual men with prostate cancer.⁴
  

The Walnut Foundation is one of two Community Development Grant recipients. This community development project has a national reach with a goal of strengthen health literacy and help seeking behaviors of priority populations within the Canada’s Black communities, specifically focusing on long-established immigrants from the Caribbean and new immigrants from West Africa, younger Black men aged 40 to 50 and members of the LGBTQIA+ community through culturally appropriate mechanisms and practices.  

To connect with these diverse Black communities, the project intends to partner with two major community health organizations (CHCs) and four community service organizations (CSOs) who serve the Black population in the Greater Toronto area, Montreal, Calgary and Ottawa. Together, they will research and develop the culturally diverse educational material and then use various methods such as conferences, presentations, social media and other methods to deliver the material to the target communities.

The Walnut Foundation is on a mission to raise the profile of prostate cancer awareness and knowledge in Black communities across Canada.

Stay tuned! The remaining three recipients are in the final stages of the contracting process and once completed, Movember will announce them as well. To learn more about Movember’s work in the prostate cancer space visit here.

About Movember
Twenty-one years ago, a bristly idea was born in Melbourne Australia, igniting a movement that would transcend borders and change the face of men’s health forever. The movement, known as Movember, united people from all walks of life – sparking billions of important conversations, raising vital funds, and shattering the silence surrounding men’s health issues.

Since 2003, this trailblazing charity has challenged the status quo, shaken up men’s health research, and transformed the way that health services reach and support men. Thanks to their global network of supporters, they have raised over $1.3 billion for men’s health. These critical funds have powered more than 1,300 men’s health projects worldwide, from pioneering biomedical research to developing some of the largest prostate cancer registries globally. Since taking on mental health and suicide prevention in 2006, Movember has advocated for the early recognition of mental health issues and improved clinician responses to men in distress. By fostering better social connections and educating men and their supporters, Movember hopes to ensure that more men know how to act when mental health challenges arise.

Movember is committed to advancing new research, cutting-edge treatments, and healthy behaviours, and advocating for inclusive, gender-responsive healthcare that caters to the unique needs of men, women, and gender-diverse individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. In doing so, they hope to forge a future where barriers to healthy living are overcome, stigmas are removed, and where everyone has an equal opportunity to live a long, healthy life. By improving men’s health, we can have a profoundly positive impact on women, families, and society.

To learn more, please visit Movember.com

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References

1. ^{Kiciak, A., Clark, W., Uhlich, M., Letendre, A., Littlechild, R., Lightning, P., ... & Kinnaird, A. (2023). Disparities in prostate cancer screening, diagnoses, management, and outcomes between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous men in a universal health care system. Cancer, 129(18), 2864-2870.} 
2. ^{Canadian Cancer Society https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/find-cancer-early/find-prostate-cancer/risk-in-black-community}
3. ^{Allott EH, Masko EM, Freedland SJ. "Obesity and Prostate Cancer: Weighing the Evidence." European Urology. 2013; 63(5):800-809. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2012.11.013}
4. ^{Canadian Cancer Society. Advancing health equity through cancer information and support services: report on communities that are underserved. Canadian Cancer Society. Published 2023.}

Images accompanying this announcement are available at:

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https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/be925a5a-f632-4e21-bcdf-9a80ffdd4b8e

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For further information or media inquiries please contact Taffin Sekulin, PR Manager at Movember Canada at taffin.sekulin@movember.com.

University of Alberta Grant

University of Alberta Grant

Dalhousie University Grant

Dalhousie University Grant

The Walnut Foundation Community Development Grant

The Walnut Foundation Community Development Grant