One man in five dies before the age of 65.
TOGETHER we can change that.

Face up to reality

MEN'S HEALTH MANIFESTO: Collect and report the data. More measurement and reporting against inequalities to tackle ‘hidden failure’:

Ensure all data at all levels are fully and relevantly gender-disaggregated

  • Fill gaps where data are not collected or where men under-report, such as sexual violation and mental health
  • Inspection bodies (e.g. CQC) to assess outreach & access as well as service delivery by gender – and report by gender
  • Go beyond the difference in life expectancy in local JSNAs – use all available data
  • More council ‘scrutiny’ of local men’s health
  • Track progress and delivery of local public health programmes amongst men and boys.

Why is this important?

A significant proportion of relevant health and lifestyle data is not reported in gendered form.

If data is not published in a gender disaggregated form then local commissioners cannot understand and address men’s poor health in their area.

For example, NHS Health Checks are primarily about reducing heart disease. Men make up 75% of those dying prematurely from heart disease yet in response to an Freedom of Information request only 35% of local authority NHS Health Check providers were able to tell us how many men they are reaching with the programme.

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The Men’s Health Forum need your support

It’s tough for men to ask for help but if you don’t ask when you need it, things generally only get worse. So we’re asking.

In the UK, one man in five dies before the age of 65. If we had health policies and services that better reflected the needs of the whole population, it might not be like that. But it is. Policies and services and indeed men have been like this for a long time and they don’t change overnight just because we want them to.

It’s true that the UK’s men don’t have it bad compared to some other groups. We’re not asking you to ‘feel sorry’ for men or put them first. We’re talking here about something more complicated, something that falls outside the traditional charity fund-raising model of ‘doing something for those less fortunate than ourselves’. That model raises money but it seldom changes much. We’re talking about changing the way we look at the world. There is nothing inevitable about premature male death. Services accessible to all, a population better informed. These would benefit everyone - rich and poor, young and old, male and female - and that’s what we’re campaigning for.

We’re not asking you to look at images of pity, we’re just asking you to look around at the society you live in, at the men you know and at the families with sons, fathers and grandads missing.

Here’s our fund-raising page - please chip in if you can.

Registered with the Fundraising Regulator

Contact
Address
  • The Men's Health Forum
  • 7-14 Great Dover Street
  • London, SE1 4YR

Charity registered in England and Wales (no. 1087375). Company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (no. 4142349).