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The Strategy aims to improve the health and wellbeing of all men and boys in Australia and outlines a national approach to improving health outcomes for all men and boys, particularly those at greatest risk of poor health. The Strategy identifies specific actions to address the health issues that affect men and boys throughout their lives and aims to reduce inequities in health outcomes between men and women, and between sub-population groups of men and boys. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males are a priority population group for the Strategy. While the Strategy generally refers to men and boys, this is not intended to exclude males with diverse sexualities, intersex men and men with a transgender experience.
Its goal is: that every man and boy in Australia is supported to live a long, fulfilling and healthy life. The Strategy builds on the 2010 National Male Health Policy.
The objectives are:
2. Strengthen the capacity of the healthsystem to provide quality care for all men and boys.
3. Build the evidence base for improving the health of men and boys
It includes a focus on five priority health issues forboys and men: mentalhealth; chronic conditions; sexual and reproductive health and conditions where men are over-represented; injuries and risktaking; and healthy ageing.
Gender-specific. The strategy emphasises the application of a gendered lens to health i.e. consciously considering the needs and preferences of men in the design, delivery, promotion and continuous improvement of programs and services. Relevant guiding principles for the Strategy include: acknowledging the influence of gender on health; and providing male-centred information, programs and services. Gender reflected as a key determinant of men’s health and wellbeing and there is a commitment to address gender inequality issues faced by men. There is also a commitment to ensuring that an equity lens is applied to all investments arising from the Strategy including consideration of: gender; priority population groups; risk factor profiles; and factors such as social, economic and cultural disadvantage.
Specific actions to support achievement of the objective of empowering and supporting all men include recognising and valuing the diversity of men and boys, reducing stigma associated with the health system or ill-health, increasing health literacy and addressing structural and systemic barriers to good health. In this way the Strategy is seeking to conside rmen and boy’s specific needs and intentionally target and benefit specific groups of men and boys to ensure coverage for all. There is emphasis on engaging men and boys proactively in the implementation of the Strategy and continuing to build the evidence base which contributes to addressing gender bias and gaps in knowledge and evidence.
The Strategy was developed through a process ofconsultation including: a National Men’s Health Forum; an online public survey; targeted consultations with state and territory governments; and advice from an Expert Advisory Group. An evidence review was also commissioned to inform the development of the Strategy and provides an overview of the health and wellbeing of Australian men.
Potential challenges, as with most policies of this nature, lie in the implementation and tracking of progress for the Strategy. This is a key gap with regard to gender mainstreaming efforts and health overall (3–5). In particular, monitoring and reporting with regard to progress (or not) in gende requality, equity and the gender-responsiveness of the health system (organizationally and programmatically) and addressing biases related to sex and gender in the health system. Monitoring and reporting on health outcomes from the Strategy in terms of gender-specific efforts, gender equality and equity issues, particularly in relation to the identified priority population groupsis also a potential challenge.
Moving from data and situational analyses of the poor state of men’s health to developing a health strategy that is gender-specific and strengthens the gender-responsiveness of the health system. It is also relevant to those countries interested in (a) addressingdifferences among men and boys within a country, and (b) in engaging better with men and boys to implement the Strategy in particular in the area of prevention and early detection activities. It will also be of relevance in terms of tracking progress from the 2010 policy to this Strategy, given the related evidence reports and evidence. It is also an important example for countries because the Strategy for men was developed in parallel with the Strategy for women, underlining the concept of gender-specific.
For the Strategy go to – https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/national+mens+health-1
The current stateof malehealth in Australia – Informing the development of the National Mal eHealth Strategy 2020-2030 is the report on the evidence review used to inform development of the strategy. For a copy please email preventive.policy@health.gov.au
Press release detailing funding- https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/amhf/pages/396/attachments/original/1554959192/19-04-11_Hunt_-_Media_Release_-__19.7_million_National_Men’s_Health_Strategy.pdf?1554959192Australian
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