NatioNal MeN’s HealtH actioN PlaN HealtHy Ireland - Men · PDF fileNatioNal MeN’s...
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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