Wes Streeting talks of his own tough upbringing at launch of Britain’s first ‘men’s health strategy’

Health Secretary Wes Streeting unveils the men’s wellness strategy astatine Arsenal Football Club which aims to tackle the causes of aboriginal decease among the antheral population

Wes Streeting has announced Britain’s archetypal ever “men’s wellness strategy” to tackle the causes of aboriginal decease among the antheral population.

The Health Secretary announced the program astatine Arsenal Football Club successful concern with the Premier League and the foundation Movember. The strategy volition see however to forestall and tackle the biggest wellness problems affecting men of each ages including cardiovascular disease, prostate crab and testicular cancer, arsenic good arsenic intelligence wellness and termination prevention. A telephone for grounds volition inquire what much needs to beryllium done to adjacent the beingness expectancy spread betwixt men and women.

Mr Streeting has spoken astir his upbringing arsenic the kid of a teen parent and with a bank-robber gramps increasing up successful a assembly level successful Stepney, eastbound London.

Arsenal instrumentality Mr Streeting said: “It tin beryllium hard to beryllium a young antheral successful today’s society, peculiarly for boys from backgrounds similar mine. We’re seeing intelligence ill-health connected the rise, and the shocking information that termination is the biggest slayer for men nether the property of 50. Preventable killers similar bosom illness and prostate crab are being caught acold excessively late.

“Just arsenic we are determined to extremity the injustices women look successful healthcare, we won’t shy distant from the request to absorption connected men’s wellness too. This authorities volition people a men’s wellness strategy to tackle these problems caput on.”

Heart illness is the starring origin of decease for men successful England and importantly much men dice aboriginal from it compared to women. On mean men dice astir 4 years earlier with an mean beingness expectancy of 79 years compared to implicit 83 years for women. Men are disproportionally affected by a fig of wellness conditions including immoderate cancers, bosom illness and benignant 2 diabetes. Men thin to question assistance for their intelligence wellness little than women and are besides much apt to dice by suicide, with men accounting for 3 retired of four.

At Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium Mr Streeting spoke to campaigners including from the UK Men's Sheds Association, Prostate Cancer UK and the African Advocacy Foundation. They discussed the obstacles presently facing men’s health. The strategy volition signifier a cardinal portion of the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan to “fix the NHS ”. Mr Streeting added: “I americium pleased to person brought unneurotic starring campaigners, experts, and the Premier League to stitchery ideas and pass our strategy and our NHS Ten Year Plan.”

Michelle Terry, main enforcement of Movember, said: “Today is simply a important measurement guardant successful transforming the look of men’s health. We are delighted that the UK authorities has committed to a men’s wellness strategy. When we amended men’s health, we cognize that the benefits tin ripple done families, communities, societies and the economy. This volition alteration the lives of men, but besides their wives, mothers, sisters, partners, mates, neighbours, children, teachers and doctors. We basal acceptable to enactment with different leaders successful men’s wellness and the Secretary of State to marque the men’s wellness strategy a world that brings existent alteration to lives up and down the country.”

The strategy volition beryllium unveiled adjacent twelvemonth and volition signifier portion of the Government's 10-year program for the NHS, which is expected to beryllium published successful outpouring adjacent year. The blueprint volition spot much absorption connected preventing sickness, arsenic good arsenic shifting attraction from hospitals to the assemblage and utilising information and technology to streamline services.