The EMHF has welcomed the much anticipated launch of Ireland’s men’s health policy – the first of its kind in Europe.
The document, launched in Dublin by Mary Wallace, the Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Health Promotion and Food Safety, was co-authored by EMHF board member Dr Noel Richardson of the Centre for Men’s Health Research and Training at the Institute of Technology Carlow. It was developed by the Department of Health and Children, in conjunction with the Health Service Executive and other stakeholders.
‘This National Men’s Health Policy will be a hugely important resource to all those working in the area of men’s health,’ Dr Richardson said. ‘It addresses the different challenges that men face in managing their health, and provides a blueprint to service providers across a number of sectors to support men to take increased responsibility for their own health. The need for an increased policy focus on men’s health is now all the more pressing as we face into a difficult economic climate’. Noel is pictured above right at the launch with fellow author Dr Paula Carroll above left.
The economic downturn in Ireland may not favour the policy. Mary Wallace, above centre, warned that: 'In the present economic climate it is not be possible to provide additional resources to assist in the implementation of the recommendations and actions contained in the National Men's Health Policy.
'However, the body of evidence and policy direction provided in the Policy is worth disseminating to stakeholders working in the area of men's health. The Policy aligns itself with existing policies and strategies and identifies how the men’s health agenda can be advanced through these existing policies across Government Departments and through the services provided by the Health Service Executive.'
EMHF Director Erick Savoye said: 'First to ban smoking in Europe, first to launch a national men’s health policy. The Irish Department for Health and Children should be congratulated for their official commitment to addressing poor men’s health on a national scale. Men are often expected to be strong and their health can easily be overlooked.'
Erick called on all European governments to take Ireland's lead and follow the EMHF's Vienna Declaration. 'The EMHF's Vienna Declaration urges all European governments to be more sensitive to the poor health situation of men in their country and to the impact this has on women and children. The campaign has already received the support of two EU Commissioners and new signatures are being received all the time showing that public attitudes are changing.'
Male life expectancy in Ireland is almost five years lower than female life expectancy (77.1 years to 81.8) and men in Ireland have higher death rates for most of the leading causes of death across the lifespan. The burden of ill health and mortality is borne, in particular, by men from the lower socioeconomic groups. These men are up to 6 times more likely to die from the leading causes of death than men from the highest socioeconomic group.
