NatioNal MeNs HealtH actioN PlaN

HealtHy Ireland - MenHI-M 2017-2021

Working with men in Ireland to achieve optimum health and wellbeing

Citation: Health Service Executive, 2016

contents

Foreword i

abbreviations iii

executive Summary 1

Part 1: Preamble 3 irelands pioneering role in mens health policy development 3

National Mens Health Policy Review 4

Therationaleformaintainingaspecificfocusonmenshealth 4

Evidencesupportinggender-specificormen-friendlyapproaches 5

Buildingonthemomentumandkeymilestonesachievedtodate 6

Part 2: National Mens Health Action Plan; Healthy Ireland - Men [HI-M] 2017-2021 9

appendices Appendix 1:KeyNMHPAPmilestonesinthecontextoftheHealthyIrelandpolicyframework 15

Appendix 2: Potentialcross-sectoralimpactofHI-M2017-2021 16

Appendix 3:Impetusandbackgroundtopolicydevelopment 19

Appendix 4:NationalMensHealthPolicyReview 21

Appendix 5:Therationaleformaintainingaspecificfocusonmenshealth 25

Appendix 6:Nationalandinternationalpublicationsandpresentations 29

Appendix 7:MembershipoftheNationalMensHealthPolicyImplementationGroup 41

Appendix 8:ExistingpolicythatwillbesupportedbyactionsfromHI-M2017-2021 43

i8

Foreword

IrelandwasthefirstcountryintheworldtoadoptaNationalMensHealthPolicy,andothercountries

are now building upon the pioneering spirit and practical learning from the Irish experience. The

publicationofthisActionPlanforMensHealth[HealthyIreland-Men2017-2021(HI-M2017-2021)]is

asignificantandimportantstepincontinuingthemomentumandprogressthathasbeenachievedin

theareaofmenshealthpolicyinIrelandinrecentyears.

There remains an urgent need to maintain a specific focus onmens health. This is grounded in

continuedsexdifferencesinlifeexpectancyandmortality,healthinequalitiesbetweendifferentsub-

populationsofmen,asubstantialbodyofevidencesupportingagender-specificapproachtoengage

moreeffectivelywithmen,andtheimperativetobuildonprogressachievedtodate.Underpinningthis

progresshasbeenanexplicitfocusongender-specificstrategiesrelatedtocommunityengagement,

capacitybuilding,partnershipandsustainability.

Inresponseto thekeyrecommendationsofan independentReviewof thepreviousNationalMens

HealthPolicyandActionPlan[NMHPAP2008-2013],HI-M2017-2021adoptsafocusedandstrategic

approach to addressmany of the key health topics and themes under the Framework of Actions

highlightedinHealthyIrelandandtheHSEpriorityareas.

ThesametheoreticalandphilosophicalprinciplesthatunderpinnedtheNMHPAP2008-2013continue

to provide a basis from which to advance mens health in the context of HI-M 2017-2021. Since

publicationoftheNMHPAP2008-2013,therehasbeenabreadthofevidencesupportingandinforming

theneedforagender-specificapproachacrossadiverserangeoftopics,settingsandtargetmale

populationgroups.Thisevidence,alongwithongoingmenshealthwork,providesaplatform from

whichtoprogressandbuildmomentumintheyearsahead.

HI-M2017-2021isrelevanttoawideaudience-policymakers,serviceproviders,healthandallied

healthprofessionals,andtothosewhoworkwithmeninthecommunityandvoluntarysectors-and

setsout anewvisionand roadmap formenshealth that canplayapivotal role in supporting the

implementationofHealthyIreland.

dr. Cate HartiganHead of Health Promotion and improvementHealthandWellbeingDivision,HealthServiceExecutive

iiiVI

AbbreviationsCHBR CentreforHealthBehaviourResearch(inWaterfordInstituteofTechnology)DAFM DepartmentofAgriculture,FoodandtheMarineDoES DepartmentofEducationandSkillsDoH DepartmentofHealthDoJEI DepartmentofJobs,EnterpriseandInnovationDoSP DepartmentofSocialProtectionE.G. ExempliGratia(forexample)FCSE FamilyCommunicationandSelf-EsteemFsP Farm safety PartnershipGAA GaelicAthleticAssociationGM GenderMainstreamingGP GeneralPractitionerHBSC HealthBehavioursinSchool-agedChildrenHi Healthy irelandHI-M HealthyIreland-MenHSA HealthandSafetyAuthorityHSE HealthServiceExecutiveICGP IrishCollegeofGeneralPractitionersics irish cancer societyIHF IrishHeartFoundationiMsa irish Mens sheds association IPH InstituteofPublicHealthITC InstituteofTechnologyCarlowLGBT Lesbian,Gay,BisexualandTransgenderlsP local sports PartnershipMDN MensDevelopmentNetworkMHFI MensHealthForuminIrelandMHW MensHealthWeekMoM Men on the MoveNCMH NationalCentreforMensHealth(intheInstituteofTechnologyCarlow)NMHP National Mens Health PolicyNMHPaP National Mens Health Policy and action Plan NMHPIG NationalMensHealthPolicyImplementationGroupNOSP NationalOfficeforSuicidePreventionNYCI NationalYouthCouncilofIrelandPa Physical activityPE PhysicalEducationSEG Socio-EconomicGroupsi sport irelandSPHE Social,PersonalandHealthEducationWIT WaterfordInstituteofTechnology

VIII 1

ExecutiveSummary

IrelandbecamethefirstcountryintheworldtopublishaNationalMensHealthPolicy[NMHP]in2009

andhasbeen to the forefront, internationally, inadvancingmenshealthat a research,policyand

advocacylevel.Underpinningitsapproachtomenshealthpolicydevelopmentandimplementation

hasbeenanexplicitfocusongender-specificstrategiesrelatedtocommunityengagement,capacity

building, partnership and sustainability. Much of the work to date has revolved around excellent

partnershipsbetweenthestatutory,community/voluntaryandacademicsectors,resultinginastrong

evidencebase.Althoughostensiblyamens healthpolicy, thePolicyhashadanexplicit focuson

mainstreamingmenshealthacrossabroadspectrumofpolicyareas(withinandoutsideofhealth)and

contributingtomoreeffectiveimplementationofotherpolicyareas.

Thereremainsastrongrationaleformaintainingaspecificfocusonmenshealth.Thisisgroundedin:

continuedsexdifferencesinlifeexpectancyandmortality;healthinequalitiesbetweendifferentsub-

populationsofmen;asubstantialbodyofevidencesupportingagender-specificapproach;andthe

imperativetobuildonthemomentumandkeymilestonesachievedinmenshealthoverthepastten

years.TheNewPublicSectorEqualityandHumanRightsDutyprovidesamandateformaintaininga

policyfocusonmenaffectedbymarginalisation(e.g.Travellermen,ethnicminoritymenandgaymen).

InJune2014,theDepartmentofHealth[DoH]andtheHealthServiceExecutive[HSE]commissioned

aReviewofthePolicy,withaviewtoinformingthefuturedirectionofmenshealthpolicyinIreland

alignedtothekeythemesofHealthyIreland[HI].TheReviewconcludedthat,overall,thePolicyhad

madeasignificantcontributiontoadvancingmenshealthinIrelandandpaidtributetothesignificant

progress thathadbeenachieved in: (i)promotingan increased focusonmenshealth research in

Ireland;(ii)developinghealthpromotioninitiativesthatsupportmentoadoptpositivehealthbehaviours

and to increasecontrolover their lives; (iii)buildingsocialcapitalwithincommunities formen;and

(iv) the development and delivery ofmens health training for health and other professionals. The

Reviewalsopaidtributetothesignificantprogressthathadbeenachievedindevelopingsustainable

alliancesandpartnershipsintheareaofmenshealthinvolvingstatutory,communityandvoluntary,

andacademicsectors.Notwithstandingwhat it sawas theambitiousscopeandbreadthofpolicy

recommendations, theReview recommended that there shouldbe a continueddedicated national

focusonmenshealthinIrelandtoensurethatthemomentumandtractionthathasbeenachieved

todateisnotlost.TheReviewalsorecommendedthedevelopmentofarevisedandmorefocused

ActionPlan formenshealth thatshouldmakeexplicit links tootherhealthpolicyareasandclearly

demonstratehowaddressingmenshealthwillsupporttheeffectiveimplementationofHealthyIreland.

ThesametheoreticalandphilosophicalprinciplesthatunderpinnedthepreviousActionPlancontinue

to provide a basis from which to maintain this ongoing agreed approach to mens health policy

implementationandfromwhichtoadvancemenshealthinthefuture.TherevisedMensHealthAction

2 3

Part1:Preamble

Irelands pioneering role in mens health policy development Irelandhasbeentotheforefrontinternationallyinadvancingmenshealthataresearch,policyand

advocacy level1.AsthefirstcountryintheworldtodevelopaNationalMensHealthPolicyandAction

Plan[NMHPAP2008-2013]2 Irelandspioneeringrole inmenshealthpolicydevelopmenthasbeen

describedby theBritishMedical Journal as a particular source of inspiration for other countries3.

Through its implementation todate, anumberof significantmilestoneshavebeenachieved in the

contextoftheHealthyIrelandPolicyFramework(seeAppendix1).Crucially,IrelandsNMHPAP2008-

2013hasalsoprovidedavisionandaframeworkforactionthatenabledthefieldofmenshealthto

develop insynergywithotherpolicyareaswithinandbeyondthehealthsector4.Underpinning this

approachhasbeenanexplicitfocusongender-specificstrategiesrelatedtocommunityengagement,

capacity building, partnership and sustainability. Much of the work to date has revolved around

excellentpartnershipsbetweenthestatutory,community/voluntaryandacademicsectors,resultingin

astrongevidencebase.HavingaNMHPAPhasalsoresultedinmenshealthbeingmorevisibleand

occupyingamoreprominentplaceinpublicdiscourse4.

ThepositioningofmenshealthinsuchbroadtermswithinNMHPAP2008-2013,wasaclearstatement

ofthecross-sectoralandinter-departmentalresponsibilitiesassociatedwithpromotingmenshealth,

butalsodrewattentiontothepotentialgainsandbenefitstoothersectorsandgovernmentdepartments

ofworkinginpartnershiptosupportmenshealth(seeAppendix2).InthecontextoftheDepartment

ofJobs,EnterpriseandInnovation,forexample,amansinabilitytoliveafullandproductivelifeisa

considerableburdentotheeconomyintermsofassociatedhealthcarecostsandlossofworkplace

prod