Rugby League Cares was proud to be part of the launch of the UK’s very first Men’s Health Strategy announced by Health Minister Wes Streeting last week.
Our Health Development and Growth Manager Wendy Barr joined representatives from health and sports organisations at the Men’s Health Summit held in partnership with Movember, hosted by Arsenal and the Premier League.
The strategy will consider how to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems affecting men of all ages, which could include cardiovascular disease, prostate cancer and testicular cancer, as well as mental health and suicide prevention. It will form a key part of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan to fix the NHS.
Speaking at Arsenal Football Club, Wes Streeting spoke to campaigners, including Rugby League Cares, the UK Men’s Sheds Association, Prostate Cancer UK and the African Advocacy Foundation, to hear directly about the obstacles currently facing men’s health.
The Minister 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; significantly more men die early from cardiovascular disease compared to women. On average, men die nearly four years earlier than women and 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. They are also more likely to die by suicide, with men accounting for three of four suicides. There are also significant health inequalities across the country, with those in the most deprived areas in England expected to live almost 10 years less than those in the least deprived.
Wendy Barr said: “It was fantastic to hear from so many partners in the room who are all striving to reduce inequalities for men's health and are delivering life-changing and life-saving work.
“Through our partnership with Movember and our delivery of programmes like Ahead of the Game, RL Cares is committed to improving health outcomes for men and we encourage everyone to support the men’s health strategy.”
As well as the call for evidence, all men are encouraged to go to the Change NHS online portal to give their views on how to build an NHS fit for the future through our 10 Year Health Plan.
The UK National Screening Committee is actively looking at all the evidence for prostate cancer screening programmes, including targeted approaches for those at higher risk such as people with a family history. This will include looking at the appropriate ages for any screening programme, and ensuring that any programme is evidence led.
