From the Minister for Health and Aged Care

Supporting healthy generations of Australian men is a cause that Healthy Male has been supporting with passion and commitment for more than 20 years. Australian men still have a lower life expectancy than women and are more likely to die by suicide. Three in four men are overweight or obese, and less than one in 30 are eating well. Prostate health, sexually transmitted diseases, mental ill-health, cancer, heart disease and substance abuse are all critical issues for men’s health.

Since 2000, Healthy Male has been hard at work building men’s health literacy and for the professionals who support and treat them. Healthy Male aims to empower boys and men to look after their health.

Guided by the National Men’s Health Strategy 2020-2030, which builds upon the first National Male Health Policy released in 2010 when I was part of the Health Ministry, this Government will take action to improve prevention and support for key health issues including chronic conditions, sexual and reproductive health, conditions where men are over-represented, injuries and risk-taking, and healthy ageing. Over the next decade, our aim is to improve the health and wellbeing of every Australian man and boy, especially those experiencing disadvantage. I know Healthy Male’s work will complement and contribute to supporting men to obtain the best possible health outcomes, build the knowledge base about male health, and improve our health system response. I thank Healthy Male’s leadership, staff, the Board and expert advisers for their hard work during another year of change and tremendous challenges. You have stayed true to your core purpose of generational change for Australian men. I applaud the accomplishments of Healthy Male set out in this Annual Report.

The Hon Mark Butler MP Minister for Health and Aged Care