HSE Health and Wellbeing, together with the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland, the Men’s Development Network and the National Centre for Men’s Health in SETU, launched the second National Men’s Health Action Plan, Healthy Ireland – Men (HIM) (2024 – 2028) on 18th November last.
Dr Philip Crowley, National Director of Wellbeing, Equality, Climate and Global Health in the HSE said: “Measures designed to improve men’s health can impact not just on men’s lives, but can have a positive influence on the lives of women and children, and on society as a whole. By promoting preventive care, engagement with screening programmes, awareness of signs and symptoms of disease, and encouraging help-seeking in men who may have symptoms, it may be possible to achieve early detection and improved outcomes from diseases such as cancer and circulatory diseases”.
“Ireland was the first country in the world to adopt a National Men’s Health Policy, and while other countries have built on the pioneering work and practical learning from the Irish experience, there is a clear need to sustain and continue to build upon the existing body of work, particularly with regard to addressing health inequalities.”
Welcoming the publication of the new Action Plan, Dr Noel Richardson, National Centre for Men’s Health, SETU, commented:
“This plan is hugely significant in continuing to build on the momentum achieved over 15 years of men’s health policy implementation to date. The plan has a clear focus on initiatives that seek to address individual lifestyle and health behaviour change targeted at specific population groups of men, whilst simultaneously acknowledging the important role that systemic and structural factors play in shaping health outcomes in men. The continued focus on collaboration and partnership is commendable and will continue to be the cornerstone of future men’s health work.”
The plan calls for an increased focus on healthy masculinities, as the basis for boys and men to be more actively engaged in their health and wellbeing and in the pursuit of gender equality. Actions seek to build on a relational approach to gender, which is mutually beneficial in terms of women’s and men’s health and wellbeing.
Read the full plan here:
Launch of webinar available to view here:
https://youtu.be/6hwS7kBePrg?si=IHMp-ppKwwjH8wXC
