International Men's Health Week
International Men's Health Week (MHW) always begins on the Monday before Father's Day and ends on Father's Day itself. During 2024, it ran from Monday 10th until Sunday 16th June.
MHW is celebrated in many European countries, as well as in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and a number of other places worldwide. The overall aims of the week are to:
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Heighten awareness of preventable health problems for males of all ages.
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Support men and boys to engage in healthier lifestyle choices / activities.
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Encourage the early detection and treatment of health difficulties in males.
Each year, there is also a specific theme. During 2024, the theme for the island of Ireland was 'Know Your Numbers' and the key message to everyone was men's health counts.
This was a population-wide attempt to increase awareness of the key numbers that policy makers / service providers / men / important people in men’s lives need to know. Sometimes, these relate to individual medical issues (e.g. blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol level), but they also include key statistics on the state of men’s health in Ireland, as well as the contact numbers for helpline and support services.
MHW gives everyone (health professionals, service providers, sporting bodies, community groups, employers, policy makers, the media, churches, individuals ...) an opportunity to encourage men and boys to take better care of their health and to seek help or treatment at an early stage.
The Men's Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI) coordinates activity on the island of Ireland and cooperates with other Men's Health Fora across Europe, and further afield, to mark this week.
The celebration of Men's Health Week on the island of Ireland is funded by the Health Service Executive Health and Wellbeing and the Public Health Agency.
Click here to visit the dedicated web page for Men's Health Week 2024 or click on the links below to find out more about what happened on the island of Ireland during previous Men's Health Weeks ...
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