Health Secretary Wes Streeting unveils the men’s health strategy at Arsenal Football Club which aims to tackle the causes of early death among the male population
Wes Streeting has announced Britain’s first ever “men’s health strategy” to tackle the causes of early death among the male population.
The Health Secretary announced the plan at Arsenal Football Club in partnership with the Premier League and the charity Movember. The strategy will consider how to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems affecting men of all ages including cardiovascular disease, prostate cancer and testicular cancer, as well as mental health and suicide prevention. A call for evidence will ask what more needs to be done to close the life expectancy gap between men and women.
Mr Streeting has spoken about his upbringing as the child of a teen mother and with a bank-robber grandfather growing up in a council flat in Stepney, east London.
Arsenal fan Mr Streeting said: “It can be hard to be a young man in today’s society, particularly for boys from backgrounds like mine. 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. Preventable killers like heart disease and prostate cancer are being caught far too late.
“Just as we are determined to end the injustices women face in healthcare, we won’t shy away from the need to focus on men’s health too. This government will publish a men’s health strategy to tackle these problems head on.”
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men in England and significantly more men die early from it compared to women. On average men die nearly four years earlier with an average life expectancy of 79 years compared to over 83 years for women. Men are disproportionally affected by a number of health conditions including some cancers, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Men tend to seek help for their mental health less than women and are also more likely to die by suicide, with men accounting for three out of four.
At Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium Mr Streeting spoke to campaigners including from the UK Men’s Sheds Association, Prostate Cancer UK and the African Advocacy Foundation. They discussed the obstacles currently facing men’s health. The strategy will form a key part of the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan to “fix the NHS ”. Mr Streeting added: “I am pleased to have brought together leading campaigners, experts, and the Premier League to gather ideas and inform our strategy and our NHS Ten Year Plan.”
Michelle Terry, chief executive of Movember, said: “Today is a significant step forward in transforming the face of men’s health. We are delighted that the UK government has committed to a men’s health strategy. When we improve men’s health, we know that the benefits can ripple through families, communities, societies and the economy. This will transform the lives of men, but also their wives, mothers, sisters, partners, mates, neighbours, children, teachers and doctors. We stand ready to work with other leaders in men’s health and the Secretary of State to make the men’s health strategy a reality that brings real change to lives up and down the country.”
The strategy will be unveiled next year and will form part of the Government’s 10-year plan for the NHS, which is expected to be published in spring next year. The blueprint will place more focus on preventing sickness, as well as shifting care from hospitals to the community and utilising data and technology to streamline services.
