Men’s health – time to demand action

With more than five men dying prematurely every hour, Foundation
, is calling on Australians to stop and think about the health of men in their lives.

The not-for-profit organisation is concerned at Australian men’s health statistics:

· More than five men die prematurely each hour from preventable conditions
· The suicide rate is four times higher for men than women
· Men live, on average, five years less than women
· Every year more than 470,000 years of life are lost to the male population due to premature death – from heart disease, cancer, accidents, suicide, alcoholism, obesity and smoking
· Over 60% of men are overweight

While fully supporting funding for women’s health, the Foundation’s chairman, Associate Professor Gary Richardson, believes expenditure on men’s health is $4.6 billion less each year than for women’s health.

“In Victoria, there are nine state-funded services directed at women’s health and none for men’s,” he says. “Community education is vital when trying to improve men’s health. Where are the publicly funded health campaigns directed at men – beyond sexual health?”

For more information visit www.
.com.au