Last year's model wins top health information award

OK, so it's not the World Cup winner's medal we'd always dreamed of but we're pretty pleased about it nonetheless. Malehealth, which is officially relaunched today, has been Highly Commended in the British Medical Association's Patient Information Awards 2003.

Peter Baker, the director of the Men's Health Forum said: 'If the old version of the site was Highly Commended, the sky's the limit for the new one! The BMA Award shows that we're developing a quality product. Most men's health websites are very narrowly-focused, often because their real aim is to sell you something — gym equipment, a magazine, supplements or even a lifestyle. There's obviously a need for something that is free, independent and tries to answer all the questions men have — Malehealth is it.'

'The internet is the ideal way for men to access health information,' said malehealth editor Jim Pollard. 'You can do it at a time to suit you and it's completely confidential. Men's magazines are providing less and less health information while the mainstream media tend, for commercial reasons, to be obsessed with miracles and tragedies, breakthroughs and crises. Not a lot of use if you just want to know the basic facts about something that's worrying you.

For the site's relaunch, there's a terrific competition in which you can win two VIP tickets for next year's Rugby League Challenge Cup Final plus all sorts of books and stuff. 

There are also top new articles including John Walker's account of having prostate cancer aged 46 and our answer to the question: where's a bloke to go for decent health information these days? (Clue: malehealth.co.uk is part of the answer.) There's also a new section on leaving home without leaving your health behind. Ideal for all those students and others tempted by liquid lunches instead of mum's cooking. And we've restocked the bookshop with new books — some controversial, some useful, some both.

On the news front, we've hooked up with the BBC so you can access their latest news direct from our site. Our news will be focusing strictly on the key issues of interest to men — so far, the male pill, smoking and coffee or cannabis — what's best for dad?

The site has been redesigned by pioneering Manchester-based webdesign outfit 8ml. Thanks, guys.

Check their hard work out, let us know what you think (and if you have any problems), and, of course, tell every bloke you meet about us. See Want To Help Malehealth? for more on how you can help us. (As you know the site is run by the Men's Health Forum, a not-for-profit organisation, and we have diddley-squit in the Marketing and Promotion budget.)