More Indigenous Health Workers, including those specialising in men’s health, are needed to meet the health needs of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander population.

Men with a disability should be considered a priority group when it comes to forming policy around suicide prevention, according to a group of researchers and academics at Melbourne University.

Their recommendation comes as a result of a study into male suicide, which showed that those who reported a disability were more likely to have suicidal thoughts than other men.

NB: This article was first published in October 2018 and refers to the draft Men's Health Strategy. It has not been updated to reflect the final version of the National Men's Strategy launched on 11 April 2019. 

The Government’s Draft Men’s Health Strategy (2020-2030) has been released at a time of increased international focus on men’s health. It comes just weeks after the publication of a men’s health strategy for the WHO EU region, which covers 53 countries. When we consider there are only four countries in the world with a national men’s health policy, this is a significant step forward.

Australia is one of the World’s healthiest societies, yet our men and boys die younger; experience more disease and have less access to support services than women and girls.  So why do men of all backgrounds have less chance of living healthy lives?

The National Men’s Health Gathering, Australia’s leading men’s health event, will take place in Parramatta, NSW, from 12-14 November 2018.

Last held in 2015, The Gathering has been connecting people who are committed to improving the lives of men and boys, for more than 20 years.

Work on developing a new National Male Health Strategy is now underway, with public consultations expected to take place in late 2018/early 2019. The Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt, hosted a National Male Health Forum at Parliament House in Canberra in August, to kick start discussions on the strategy.