The government has launched a men’s health strategy across England to tackle physical and mental wellbeing and health challenges, and reduce inequalities.
The strategy, which was published on International Men’s Day (19 November), aims to improve male physical health so men and boys can live longer, lead healthier lives, and address the issue of men being less likely to seek help and more likely to suffer in silence.
It includes workplace health pilots with EDF Energy through the Keep Britain Working vanguard to support male workers in male-dominated industries, focusing on prevention, early support, and better returns to work.
Other elements of the strategy include research funding to help prevent, diagnose, treat and manage major male killers and causes of unhealthy life, men’s health training for healthcare professionals through e-learning modules and resources, and a £3 million investment in community-based men’s health programmes, designed to reach those most at risk.
The government will also expand mental health teams in schools by April 2026, and make a £3.6 million investment over the next three years in suicide prevention projects across areas where middle-aged men are at most risk of taking their own lives.
The strategy is part of the government’s ambition to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions, while increasing it for everyone.
Wes Streeting, secretary of state for health and social care, said: “For too long, men’s health has been overlooked. There has been a reluctance to accept that men suffer specific inequalities and hardships. The fact is that life can be difficult for men today. Men are dying nearly four years earlier than women, and suicide remains one of the leading causes of death for men under 50.
“This strategy marks a turning point, the first time we’re taking comprehensive, coordinated action to address the health challenges facing men and boys. We know men are less likely to come forward for healthcare. From partnering with the Premier League’s Together Against Suicide initiative, to rolling out health support in the workplace, we’re meeting men where they are and giving them the support they need to live longer, healthier lives.”
