7-1818-4974 
 
Georgia House of Representatives Public Information Office 
Room 131, State Capitol 30334 404-656-5082 1-800-282-5800 
 
August 1, 2003 
 
For Immediate Release: 
 
Childers Renamed to Commission on Men's Health 
 
Atlanta  Representative Buddy Childers, (D-Rome), was reappointed by House Speaker Terry Coleman (D-Eastman) to continue his service on the Commission on Men's Health. The Commission was created by HB 1235, which passed during the 2000 session and was sponsored by Rep. Childers. 
 
"I am honored and grateful that the Speaker has asked me to continue serving in this capacity," said Rep. Childers. "This Commission has accomplished a lot since we've started, but we've still got a lot to do." 
 
The life expectancy gap between men and women has steadily increased from one year in 1920 to seven in 1990. Almost twice as many men than women die from heart disease. At 28.5 percent, the incidence of stroke among men is 19 percent higher than for women, and the death rate for stroke is 97 percent higher in African American males. 
 
Men suffer cancer at a fifty percent higher rate than women, and represent 80 percent of all suicides. 
 
"In 1997 alone more than 41,000 men died of prostate cancer," he continued. "Now that's serious. What's even more serious is that with early detection, most of those lives could have been saved." 
 
The eleven member commission develops strategies, public policy recommendations, and programs, including community outreach and public-private partnerships that are designed to educate Georgia's men on the benefits of regular physician check-ups, early detection and preventive screening tests, and healthy lifestyle practices. It is the first commission of its kind in the United States. 
 
"A Commission on Men's Health is needed to investigate current medical findings and take such actions as may be needed to promote men's health in this state", the measure reads. 
According to the panel's mandate, each year before Oct. 1st, the commission will submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
 
"I appreciate the opportunity to continue in this effort," said Childers. "We're talking about the lives of Georgia's brothers, fathers, and grandfathers. If that's not important work, then I don't know what is." 
 
Rep. Childers is Chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee and serves on the Appropriations and Rules committees. 
-30For further information please contact Rep. Childers at 404-656-5141.