Special Envoy commits to policy action on men’s health
The Special Envoy for Men’s Health, Dan Repacholi MP, told a WA conference that men’s health has not had the focus it deserves and that men’s voices were underrepresented in the health system.
Speaking at the WA Men’s Wellbeing Conference held in Perth this week, Mr Repacholi committed to developing new men’s health policy ideas to take to Government in this term. In a pre-recorded video statement, the member for Hunter told attendees:
“I’m not a doctor or a psychologist. I'm a dad, a husband, a bloke who grew up in a working class family and someone who's spent most of my life working alongside miners, tradies, and sports people.
“From those experiences and from the conversations I've had right across the country, I know men's health has not been given the focus it deserves. The numbers tell the story. Three out of every four suicides in Australia are men. That's around two-and-a half-thousand men and boys every year. Men die, about five years younger than women.
“Men experience mental distress at the same rate as women, but they are only half as likely to see a GP and counsellor or a psychologist. These numbers are heartbreaking for everyone; behind them mates, dads, sons and brothers. That's why I took the role, of Special Envoy for Men's Health. My job is to listen, to travel the country, to meet men - where they are - to start shaping policy that we can take to government in this term.
“I want that policy to be built on the voices of men and the community that support them.”
The WA Men’s Wellbeing Conference was hosted by Men's Talk and Richmind WA, and this year’s event was structured around Four Pillars for improving men’s mental health, which Mr Repacholi referenced in his video.
He said:
“Your conference is built on four pillars, and I want to touch on each of them, because they align quite easily on what I'm trying to do. First is early and effective engagement with services. We know blokes are less likely to ask for help. And when they do, it is often too late. We need to make it easier, more normal, and more effective for men to reach out and get the support they need early.
“Second is continuity of care. Too many men fall through the cracks when they move between services. That might be leaving hospital, it might be going back to the community or shifting from one program to another. Support cannot stop the moment someone walks out the door.
“Third is representation. Men's voices are under-represented across the health sector. If we want services that actually work for us men, then men must get to the table when these decisions are made.
“And four is better data and research. We need gender specific reporting, we need to know how many seek help and what does and what does not work for men. Without that we are flying blind. These four pillars come from the backbone of the national conversations that we need to have. So here is my commitment to all of you today.
“I will keep listening, I will keep pushing, and I will take the lessons from conferences like this one and all around the country back into government.
“Because improving men's health and wellbeing is not just about health. It's about families. It's about communities, and it's about the future of our country.”