Labor Commits To National Men's Health Policy
NB: This article was first published in December 2018. It has not been updated to reflect the ALP's response to the launch of the new National Men's Strategy on 11 April 2019.
Labor has committed to take action to improve men's health if it wins the Federal election due to be held in the first half of 2019. The commitment came on Day Three of the ALP National Conference in Adelaide.
Chapter 8 of Labor's National Platform includes a section on Men's Health that makes the following commitments:
1. Update and fully implement the National Male Health Policy, including an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander male health policy with a focus on valuing young men;
2. Develop and implement policies to improve male mental health and prevent male suicide, particularly in rural areas;
3. Support policies to address the gap in life expectancy between males and females;
4. Implement policies and programs to reduce the incidence of prostate and bowel cancer, including the continuation of bowel cancer screening, and support prostate and bowel cancer treatment, support and research; and
5. Consult with the relevant communities about the specific health needs of gay and bisexual men, and men who are transgender or intersex, and about the provision of culturally appropriate health services, and ensure their appropriate resourcing and promotion.
The Coalition has also committed to take action on men's health and has produced a draft Men's Health Strategy for 2020-2030 that aims to build on the 2010 Male Health Policy and is due to be published in 2019.
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