Our response to party manifestos and a call for action on men’s health

Too many men are dying too young. Almost two in five men will die before their 75th birthday. In England, the suicide rate for men is three times higher for men than women.

This is why it's disappointing that none of the main political parties’ election manifestos have included pledges to tackle men’s health.

Calling all parties

We urgently need all parties across the political spectrum and across all four nations to be bold and commit to men’s health strategies.

Men’s health strategies that are gender responsive will establish new norms and expectations for boys’ and men’s relationship with health and care services throughout their lives. When we improve men’s health, we know that the benefits can ripple through families, communities and societies. This will transform the lives of men, as well as the wives, sisters, mothers, partners, mates, children and neighbours around them.

We need a men's health strategy

At Movember, we've been calling for a men’s health strategy alongside our partners in the sector. Earlier this year, we gave evidence to the Health and Social Care Select Committee’s inquiry on men’s health. This concluded with the chair recommending the next government take more action on men’s health and publish a men’s health strategy to complement the women’s health strategy.

We believe a men’s health strategy should focus on the following:

• Drive demand in men’s health service usage through support and education.
• Respond to demand with a responsive health system and workforce.
• Undertake research to understand how men engage with their health and the system at large.

There is no time to waste. We need to come together for action on men’s health.