As Nevis prepares to mark September as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, the island’s top leader is amplifying a urgent call to action for local men to prioritize routine prostate health screenings, emphasizing that early detection is the most critical tool for reducing mortality from the disease.
In an official statement released from Charlestown, Nevis on August 27, 2026, Premier Honourable Mark Brantley directly addressed male residents, warning against the dangerous habit of delaying medical check-ups until noticeable symptoms develop. Brantley stressed that by the time symptoms appear, prostate cancer may have already progressed to an untreatable stage, making routine screening non-negotiable for at-risk groups.
“Prostate cancer is not a condition to ignore or take lightly,” Brantley said. “Global and regional data already confirms that Black men face disproportionately high rates of this disease, and risk only increases with age or a family history of the cancer. Waiting for symptoms to show up may already be too late to get effective care.”
Brantley encouraged all men to schedule routine consultations with their healthcare providers to discuss screening options, know their personal health status, and take proactive control of their long-term wellbeing. He also appealed to women across the island to take an active supportive role, urging them to encourage the men in their lives — partners, brothers, sons, and friends — to prioritize their health and book screenings.
“Let’s fight this disease together,” Brantley added. “Every conversation, every screening, makes a difference for our community.”
Nevis’ Department of Gender Affairs is partnering with local health providers to expand outreach during the awareness month, focused on educating men about prevention, early detection, and making informed choices about their prostate health. Local men are already taking advantage of free prostate screenings offered by Urology and Associates as part of the campaign.
The push for greater screening awareness comes as the Caribbean grapples with one of the highest prostate cancer burdens in the world. Regional data ranks prostate cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men across Caribbean nations. In 2022 alone, the region recorded 22,271 new cases and 9,695 deaths from the disease.
Global health data aligns with this regional trend, confirming that Black men face drastically elevated risk: they are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as other groups, and roughly one in six Black men will receive a prostate cancer diagnosis during their lifetime. Health officials recommend that men with elevated risk factors speak with their providers about the appropriate timing and frequency of screenings, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, to fit their personal health needs.
Brantley concluded that collective public awareness and coordinated action across communities can drastically reduce the devastating impact of prostate cancer on men, their families, and Nevis’ broader society.