UK Launches Men's Health Strategy As Survey Reveals Men Live Shorter Lives

The UK government has made a big step by announcing plans for a national men's health strategy that would address some of the most important health problems that men of all ages confront. The policy would include mental health, heart disease, prostate cancer, and suicide prevention—issues that have long been disregarded in the larger public health discourse, according to Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

At a men's health summit organized by the Movember Foundation, Arsenal Football Club, and the Premier League, Streeting presented the plan. He emphasized the alarming fact that suicide is the top cause of mortality for men under 50, as well as the rising prevalence of mental illness. "We’re seeing mental ill health on the rise and the shocking fact that suicide is the biggest killer for men under the age of 50," Streeting said. "Preventable killers like heart disease and prostate cancer are being caught far too late."

In the UK, males often die over four years before women do, and they are disproportionately impacted by diseases including type 2 diabetes, prostate cancer, and heart disease. In addition, men are less likely than women to seek mental health treatment, which adds to the high suicide rates.

Streeting also recognized the social pressures men encounter, specifically the effect of social media on body image and self-esteem, which he said are problems that men and women experience in a comparable way.

The government is tackling gender-specific health inequities at the same time as the new approach. Streeting emphasized that women's health and men's health should not be seen as mutually exclusive. "Nothing frustrates me more than when men’s health and women’s health are somehow pitted in opposition to each other," he said. "By focusing on a men’s health strategy, we are not detracting from the important work that has been done on women’s health."

This revelation comes after the UK's women's health strategy was released in 2022, acknowledging that although women live longer than men, they also experience more health problems for a larger percentage of their lives.

Streeting aims to provide a method that tackles gendered health disparities without undervaluing women's health by concentrating on the unique health issues that men confront.

In the upcoming months, the government will issue a call for evidence, asking organizations to share their perspectives on what more can be done to enhance the health of males. Through the Change NHS website, men are also invited to express their ideas about how the NHS may be enhanced to better meet their needs.

Michelle Terry, CEO of the Movember Foundation, welcomed the government’s commitment, calling it "a significant step forward." She highlighted the potential long-term benefits of improving men’s health, saying that it could positively affect families, communities, and even the economy. "When we improve men’s health, we know that the benefits can ripple through families, communities, societies, and the economy," Terry said. "This will transform the lives of men but also their wives, mothers, sisters, partners, mates, neighbors, children, teachers, and doctors."

Addressing avoidable illnesses like prostate cancer, for which there is currently no nationwide screening program in the UK, is a crucial component of the new approach. A PSA test is not commonly provided, despite the fact that males over 50 can request one. In an effort to detect prostate cancer early and save lives, the government is looking at the idea of implementing targeted screening for individuals who are more susceptible, such as men with a family history of the disease.

This tactic is a component of the government's larger goal to enhance healthcare results and close the gender gap in life expectancy. It is a component of a larger effort to address important public health concerns and guarantee that the health of both men and women receives the consideration they deserve.