Two in five (37 per cent) of Australian men die prematurely, before they are 75 years old.
These deaths are, for the most part, preventable.
A costly problem
A government strategy hopes to have a positive impact on men’s health into the future. It sets out the need to empower and support men and boys to optimise their own health and each other’s health and wellbeing. But so far, it has not had the funding to deliver on these strategies.
The ripple effect on caregivers is immense, with an estimated 2.65 million Australians providing unpaid care, resulting in financial stress and lost career opportunities, which disproportionately impacts women.
While national health programs and initiatives support the advancement of men’s health, the reality is that Australia’s approach to men’s health looks better on paper than it is in reality.
There is a lack of dedicated funding to deliver on the goals outlined in the men’s health strategy which has resulted in very little tangible impact on advancing the health outcomes of men.
Tackling the problem
The bright spot on the horizon is the annual Movember fundraising event, which is making significant headway. In November, growing a moustache is like wearing a symbol representing healthier men throughout November.
A new report from the Movember Institute of Men’s Health reveals that the $1.5 billion raised for men’s health over the past two decades has delivered more than 1,300 men’s health projects around the world, including hundreds of biomedical research projects and some of the largest prostate cancer registries in the world.
The fundraiser is taking on three of the biggest health issues affecting men: mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. As a result, men are living healthier, longer lives.
Facing men’s health
Raising such a huge sum has given Movember evidence into what works (and what doesn’t) when it comes to men’s health, according to Movember CEO Michelle Terry.
Above all else, health promotion programs, a responsive health system, upskilling of the health workforce and research that works to build, evaluate and translate evidence into practice successfully engages best with men, she says.
Building on a 20-year legacy of investment in men’s physical and mental health, Terry says Movember has ambitious goals to enhance the quality of life for millions of men worldwide.
Since taking on mental health and suicide prevention in 2006, Movember has emphasised the importance of better social connections, early recognition of what men’s poor mental health looks like, and how clinicians can better respond to men in distress.
Investing in health
Of course, men are invested in their health, but there are many who face barriers when accessing and interacting with the healthcare system.
Movember is calling on the Federal Government to strengthen men’s health literacy and to transform the health system so that it has the capacity and skill to respond to the needs of men. Research to understand men’s engagement with the health system via robust reviews is also required.
Terry says that Movember Institute of Men’s Health wants to accelerate research and translate it into tangible real-world outcomes by uniting global experts in the field of men’s health. “We want men and boys to understand their health and see the health system as a place where they belong, where they are understood, and are responded to effectively in ways they want and need.
“To achieve this we need to know, apply and strengthen what works when it comes to reaching men with programs that improve their health literacy to drive help-seeking, and ensure we deliver healthcare approaches built with men in mind,” Terry says.
Be part of the solution by demanding change on men’s health. Every name we collect will show policy makers the true number of people who care about men’s health, and want to see action.
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