On 28 November, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, announced the government’s commitment to the UK’s first ever Men’s Health Strategy. (Secretary of State commits to first ever Men’s Health Strategy – GOV.UK). UKMSA, along with a select group of charities and other organisations, was invited to the summit, which was hosted by Movember and the Premier League at Emirates Stadium.
As part of our role in representing our members, UKMSA has for some time supported calls for a Men’s Health Strategy. Our Board Chair, Rob Lloyd, who was at the event said “We welcome this announcement and are hugely pleased that the Secretary of State has so clearly signalled the priority to be placed on a discrete strategy for men’s health. A lot of individuals and organisations have lobbied hard for government attention on this important matter for some time, and we are grateful to everyone involved for their efforts. The Secretary of State said that the call for evidence as part of the strategy development will commence shortly, and UKMSA is proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with other charities and organisations alongside the DHSC in helping to get this done.”
The strategy will focus on the biggest health issues affecting men of all ages and will hope to reduce the life expectancy gap between men and women.