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New national strategy for men’s health
As Australia marks Men’s Health Week, the Federal Government has announced plans to establish a new 10-year National Male Health Strategy it says will focus on the mental and physical health of men and boys.
The Federal Government’s National Male Health Strategy is designed to help achieve equal health outcomes for population groups of males at risk of poor health.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the Government’s planned National Male Health Strategy will run from 2020 to 2030.
‘Building on the 2010 National Male Health Policy, the strategy will aim to identify what is required to improve male health outcomes and provide a framework for taking action,’ he said.
‘During 2018 Men’s Health Week, it is important to remember that in Australia, like most countries, males have poorer health outcomes on average than females.
‘More males die at every stage of life. Males have more accidents, are more likely to take their own lives and are more prone to lifestyle-related chronic health conditions than women and girls at the same age.’
The National Male Health Policy is designed to provide a framework for ‘improving the health of all males and achieving equal health outcomes for population groups of males at risk of poor health’.
‘It provides practical suggestions for action designed to guide directions into the new decade, especially in areas proven to make a difference in improving the health of Australian males, and those with the poorest health,’ the Government wrote.
‘The strategy will be developed in consultation with key experts and stakeholders in male health, and importantly, the public will be invited to have a say through online consultation later this year,’ Minister Hunt said.
RACGP resources
The Curriculum for Australian general practice 2016 contains a men’s health contextual unit. The unit acknowledges the disparity in health between men and women, and the way gender can influence health as a result of men and women having different:
- exposure to risk factors
- health literacy with varied access to, and understanding of, information about disease management, prevention and control
- subjective experience of illness and its social significance
- attitudes toward the maintenance of one’s own health and that of family members
- patterns of service use
- perceptions of quality of care.
The
Guidelines for preventive activities in general practice (9th edition) (Red Book) features the ‘
Preventive activities over the lifecycle – Adults’ chart.
The ‘
Patient information sheet: Should I have prostate cancer screening?’ is designed to help men have an informed discussion with their GP about the risks and potential benefits of prostate cancer screening.
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