Government says UK to have men’s health strategy
The UK Government has announced plans for a men’s health strategy.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said it would help tackle “some of the biggest issues affecting men of all ages”.
This may include mental health and suicide prevention, heart disease and prostate cancer.
The strategy is expected to be published next year.
‘The biggest killer’
Streeting discussed the plans with charity Movember at a men’s health summit organized by Arsenal and the Premier League.
“Being young in today’s society can be hard, especially for boys from a background like mine,” he said.
“We are seeing mental ill health on the rise and the shocking fact is that suicide is the biggest killer for men under 50.
“Preventable killers like heart disease and prostate cancer are being caught too late.”
Men die on average about four years earlier than women, and are disproportionately affected by many conditions, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. according to the government,
They are also less likely to seek help for mental-health issues.
Streeting also highlighted social-media pressures and said that men face the same issues as women around their self-esteem and body image and that he would not want to “shy away” from the need to focus on men’s health. .
“Nothing frustrates me more than when men’s health and women’s health are somehow pitted against each other, as if by focusing on a men’s health strategy we somehow “There is a step back from the wonderful work that successive governments are doing on women’s health and we really need to do even more,” she said.
‘Through the Wave’
The Government will open a call for evidence in the coming months – inviting organizations to give their views on what more should be done to improve men’s health.
Men are also being encouraged to share their views on how to make the NHS “fit for the future” on the website change nhs ,
Michelle Terry, chief executive of Movember, said: “When we improve men’s health, we know the benefits can extend to families, communities, societies and the economy.
“It will transform the lives of men as well as their wives, mothers, sisters, partners, peers, neighbors, children, teachers and doctors.”
of britainwomen’s health strategyPublished in 2022 under a Conservative government, it says: “Although women in the UK live longer on average than men, women spend a greater proportion of their lives in poor health and disability than men.
“Women-specific issues like abortion or menopause are not given enough attention, and women remain underrepresented when it comes to important clinical trials.”