Nkole Mubanga

Why Zambian Men Die Young Nkole Mubanga

It is a fact that men in Zambia have a lower life expectancy at birth and higher death rates during adulthood than women. Many of the health problems that men face could be prevented, or even cured, with early medical intervention or a change in lifestyle. However, boys who are brought up to believe that "real men don't get sick" may see themselves as invulnerable to illness or risk. When they actually fall ill, they may put up with the sickness or seek healthcare only as a last resort. It may be an archaic stereotype, but nagging from women is the main reason for Zambian men to get their health checked out. Popular culture may paint men as the stronger sex, but from the moment a boy is born, his life is more likely than his sister's to be cut short. Across national and cultural boundaries, men die an average of seven years earlier than women. The questions that this book tries to answer are: - Why do men die young in Zambia? - Why is life expectancy low for Zambian men?- Have Zambian men accepted low life expectancy?- Are social-economic challenges the reasons men die young?- Is it health reasons men die young?- What are the impacts of fatherlessness on families?- Are there solutions to why men die early and early?- What is the secret of long life?- Do Zambian men matter, and why?Mortality is non-negotiable. But the number of years you get-not to mention the way you spend them-can, in many ways, be up to you.