PRESS RELEASE
Contact: G. Lawrence DeMarco, LLM
Telephone: +1 215-901-1930
Email: ldemarco@menandboys.net
UK Announces First-Ever Men’s Health Strategy: A Watershed Moment for Male Wellbeing
November 24, 2025 – On November 19, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the UK’s first-ever Men’s Health Strategy, a comprehensive framework to address longstanding disparities in male health outcomes (1). The strategy targets earlier intervention, improved access to care, and community-level prevention. Key investments include £3.6 million for suicide prevention among middle-aged men in high-risk regions, as well as expanded support for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and prostate cancer—conditions that disproportionately impact men (2).
Announcing the strategy was Wes Streeting, Health Secretary, who explained, “It can be hard to be a young man in today’s society, particularly for boys from backgrounds like mine. We’re seeing mental ill health on the rise, and the shocking fact that suicide is the biggest killer for men under the age of 50. Preventable killers like heart disease and prostate cancer are being caught far too late.” (3)
The urgency of this strategy is underscored by stark global disparities in men’s health. On average, men live five years less than women worldwide—68.9 years compared to 73.9 years. Additionally, suicide remains one of the most severe public health crises for men, who die by suicide at nearly three times the rate of women—14.7 versus 5.3 per 100,000 individuals (4).
In recent years, political leaders in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Micronesia, New Zealand, South Africa, the United States, and elsewhere have spoken out passionately about the need to pay greater attention to the health of men (4).
In the United States, the American Medical Association (AMA) recently adopted a formal resolution urging the establishment of Offices of Men’s Health at both the federal and state levels. The resolution highlights rising male mortality and disparities, such as a 22.5% increase in the male age-adjusted death rate from 2018 to 2021 and a 67.5% increase in firearm deaths, intending to improve outreach, awareness, and coordinated outcomes (5).
Together, the UK’s first-ever Men’s Health Strategy, the growing chorus of international leaders, and the new AMA resolution mark a turning point: men’s health is no longer a niche concern but a core public-health priority. These initiatives show that the crisis facing men and boys is measurable and preventable.
ICMB urges lawmakers around the world to prioritize similar strategies and calls on media to report these developments with balance and urgency, elevating the global conversation on male wellbeing.
The International Council for Men and Boys is a non-governmental organization that works to celebrate men’s contributions to society and to end the twelve sex disparities that affect men and boys around the world. Achieving #GenderEqualityForMen will also benefit women. https://www.menandboys.net
SOURCES
- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgkgnk7nyeo
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mens-health-a-strategic-vision-for-england
- https://www.gov.uk/government/news/secretary-of-state-commits-to-first-ever-mens-health-strategy?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- https://www.menandboys.net/health/
- https://waboysandmen.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AMA-Resolution-of-Support-for-Federal-and-State-Offices-of-Mens-Health.pdf