Men's Health Forum - Men a dying breed?

Men are more likely than women to die prematurely. They are twice as likely to develop heart disease. They are also more likely to die from a non-sex-specific cancers for instance bowel cancer often because of a reluctance to seek help early.

Men visit their GP only half as often as women. They are less likely to seek help for mental health problems. Only a quarter of participants in primary care programmes are male. Men are reluctant to access health services as they are presently configured. At Health Launchpad we believe that there is an urgent need to address this growing crisis in male health care, adopting new and inventive solutions that are capable of addressing this challenge on a permanent basis.

So, on November 5th 2008, Health Launchpad has invited a small group of pioneers in the field of men’s health and hand picked leaders and stake holders in other fields, for a unique four hour brain storm.

The aim is to come up with one or several highly innovatory ideas that can be developed into practical projects - drawing on Health Launchpad’s funding and support. These projects will initiate a permanent nation-wide network of social enterprises that proactively encourage men and boys to look after their health. We hope that the session, bringing together leading minds from different arenas, will act as a catalyst to achieve a greater understanding of men’s health needs and a real shift in provision.