The Big Countdown Begins

Research clearly shows that men on the island of Ireland experience a disproportionate burden of ill-health and die too young.  They: die younger than women; have higher death rates for almost all of the leading causes of death and at all ages; have poorer lifestyles which are responsible for a high proportion of chronic diseases; present later to health services which can lead to a large number of problems becoming untreatable ...  However, this is not a lost cause.  Much can be / is being done to improve this situation.

We’re now only a few months away from International Men's Health Week (MHW), which begins on the Monday before Father's Day and ends on Father's Day itself.  This year, it will take place from Monday 10th - Sunday 16th June.  This week is celebrated in many European countries, as well as in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada (and a number of other places worldwide), and offers a unique and ideal opportunity for everyone to do their bit to improve the health of men and boys by: heightening awareness of preventable health problems; supporting men and boys to engage in healthier lifestyle choices / activities; and encouraging the early detection / treatment of health problems.

Each year, there is also a specific theme.  During 2024, the theme for Ireland will be 'Know Your Numbers' and the key message to everyone is ‘men's health counts’.

This is 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 will relate to 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 which are available.

Now’s the time to start planning what you might do to mark this important occasion.  A range of free resources will soon be made available.  These include posters, postcards, social media content, graphics, an updated ‘Action Man’ manual, signposting tools etc.  Keep up-to-date with developments at: https://mhfi.org/mhw/about-mhw.html and kick-off your MHW activity by sharing the countdown video clip at: https://youtu.be/tySffvfmZZ4