Government unveils England's first ever Men's Health Strategy
The government launches bold plan to tackle physical and mental health challenges faced by men and boys, and reduce inequalities.
- Landmark strategy published on International Men’s Day aims to tackle men’s mental health challenges, improve physical health and reduce inequalities so men and boys get on and live longer, healthier lives
- As part of the strategy, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) will team up on the Premier League’s Together Against Suicide initiative and smash the stigma around mental health
- Men with prostate cancer will also benefit from improved care through the strategy, alongside £3.6 million investment in suicide prevention projects targeting middle-aged men
Men and boys across England will benefit from tailored healthcare and support as the government launches its first Men’s Health Strategy.
Launched on International Men’s Day, the bold plan sets out comprehensive action to tackle the physical and mental health challenges men and boys face every day.
Men can be less likely to seek help and more likely to suffer in silence. This, combined with a higher propensity to smoke, drink, gamble and use drugs, means men’s health is suffering, having a significant impact on families, workplaces and communities. This strategy will help give men and boys to get on and live longer, healthier lives.
Suicide is one of the biggest killers of men under 50 and three-quarters of all suicides are men. That’s why the government is investing £3.6 million over the next 3 years in suicide prevention projects for middle-aged men in local communities across areas of England where men are at most risk of taking their own lives, including some of the most deprived areas in the country. This comes on top of expanding mental health teams in schools to ensure an additional 900,000 pupils have access to support by April 2026.
The projects will break down barriers that middle-aged men face in seeking support, such as the stigma associated with seeking help and a lack of awareness of what is available and how to access it. Projects will be co-designed with experts and men with lived experience of mental health crises and suicidal thoughts.
The focus on suicide prevention includes a partnership on the Premier League’s Together Against Suicide initiative with the Samaritans, which looks to help tackle the stigma around men’s mental health and embed health messaging into the matchday experience.
Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said:
For too long, men’s health has been overlooked. There has been a reluctance to accept that men suffer specific inequalities and hardships. The fact is that life can be really difficult for men in today’s society. Men are dying nearly 4 years earlier than women, and suicide remains one of the leading causes of death for men under 50.
This strategy marks a turning point - the first time we’re taking comprehensive, co-ordinated action to address the health challenges facing men and boys.
Teaming up with the Premier League will harness the power of football to break down barriers and reach millions of men who might never walk through a GP’s door.
We know men are less likely to come forward for healthcare. From partnering with the premier league to rolling out health support in the workplace - we’re meeting men where they are and giving them the support they need to live longer, healthier lives.
Together Against Suicide was launched by the Premier League in September 2025 and provides matchday support for fans in stadiums, initially through 11 pilot clubs, as well as providing an online hub of information for fans and followers watching from home.
This partnership will enhance that support by ensuring clubs are working closely with their local NHS trusts, increasing their knowledge and training on suicide prevention, as well as actively promoting existing mental health and suicide prevention support such as NHS Talking Therapies and Every Mind Matters.
Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Masters, said:
Unfortunately, suicide is an issue that affects people of all ages and backgrounds. Football has the power to break down stigma and connect fans with support that can make a real difference. Through the Premier League’s Together Against Suicide initiative, we are working with clubs and partners to reduce the stigma around suicide and provide ongoing support for people who need it most.
This means providing matchday services through clubs, creating an online hub with professional help and promoting conversations that can help change lives. Whether it’s speaking to family and friends, to experts on a matchday or contacting the Samaritans’ free support line, fans should know help is always within reach.
We are pleased to be supporting the government’s Men’s Health Strategy. By joining forces, we can make a positive difference - and we urge fans to look after themselves and those they care about.
Men face a range of barriers in accessing healthcare services, such as stigma and services that are not responsive to men’s needs - we want men to overcome these issues and stop too many cases of preventable deaths.
This strategy puts men’s health front and centre, addressing the challenges men face and designing solutions with men, for men.
Men with prostate cancer will also benefit from improved care through the strategy, including the development of home prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing for those being monitored for the disease.
From 2027, subject to clinical approval, men diagnosed with prostate cancer that is being actively monitored or treated will be able to order and complete PSA blood tests at home, or book an in-person blood test locally through the NHS App.
Other commitments in the Men’s Health Strategy include:
- investing £3 million into community-based men’s health programmes, designed to reach those most at risk and least likely to engage with traditional services
- men’s health training for healthcare professionals through new e-learning modules and resources
- workplace health pilots with EDF Energy through the Keep Britain Working Vanguard Programme to support male workers in male-dominated industries
- enhanced lung disease support for former miners, with increased investment in the Respiratory Pathways Transformation Fund in areas with significant former mining communities
- funding research to help prevent, diagnose, treat and manage the major male killers and causes of unhealthy life years in men
- a £200,000 trial of new brief interventions to target the rise in cocaine and alcohol-related cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths, particularly among older men
The Men’s Health Strategy supports the government’s ambition to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions, while increasing it for everyone.
It tackles unhealthy behaviours, loneliness and social isolation, and harmful societal norms that prevent men seeking help, focusing on places that men frequent such as workplaces and sports clubs to drive change.
Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at DHSC and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), said:
We know that men are disproportionately affected by certain conditions, such as some forms of cancer and addiction, and even rates of suicide. This strategy provides a critical focus for the NIHR’s research efforts, ensuring we target research to the health and care needs that cause the greatest burden on men’s lives.
The NIHR is committed to ensuring that research is inclusive and representative, and we are uniquely positioned to help address health inequalities, fund and deliver new research that reaches all men.
Michelle Terry, Chief Executive Officer, Movember, said:
Today marks a historic day for men’s health in the UK. This bold strategy has strong foundations which can be built on and delivered by government, charities, health professionals, men and their communities working together.
We now need rapid progress and delivery of the action plan to ensure this strategy creates real, measurable change. The UK has the opportunity not just to turn the tide on men’s health, but to become a global leader in men’s health policy, and a strong plan deserves backing.
Julie Bentley, Chief Executive Officer, Samaritans, said:
Three-quarters of suicides are by men so the time for action is now and today’s announcement is a great start. It’s hugely positive to see this new strategy, the first of its kind, making suicide prevention a core focus.
Suicide isn’t inevitable but preventing it takes teamwork and Samaritans’ Together Against Suicide initiative with the Premier League is a powerful partnership aimed at reaching men where they are.
We welcome the government’s recognition of the impact of suicide on men and the inclusion of suicide in the Men’s Health Strategy is an important step in us together tackling the tragic reality that suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50.
Chiara De Biase, Director of Health Services, Equity and Improvement at Prostate Cancer UK, said:
We’re pleased to see the government prioritising improvement of men’s experience of prostate cancer care as part of the Men’s Health Strategy. Vital changes like giving men more control over their health and providing them with personalised support is long overdue, and we’re committed to working with the government and the NHS to turn these words into actions that have a life changing impact for men. We look forward to seeing the details on these proposed changes.
The earlier you find prostate cancer, the easier it is to treat, so any men concerned can head to the Prostate Cancer UK’s online ‘risk checker’ to find out if they’re at risk of prostate cancer and what they can do about it.
This first ever Men’s Health Strategy is a crucial first step, laying the foundation from which we can learn, change and improve the approach. It is not just a plan, it is a call to action to create a society where:
- men and boys are supported to live longer, healthier and happier lives
- stigma is replaced by understanding
- every man knows that his health matters
A stakeholder group will oversee implementation of the strategy, with the government publishing a one year report to ensure accountability.
Musician and Movember ambassador, Professor Green (Stephen Manderson), said:
Like too many families, mine has lived through the unthinkable impact of male suicide. Today marks the start of government working with experts to tackle that.
The challenges facing men go far beyond simply not going to the doctor. We need a joined-up approach across government to look at how we raise boys, the role of fathers, the influence of culture and schools, and how health services meet men where they are. That’s how we build communities of healthier men.
Lord Foster of Bath, Chair of Action on Gambling, said:
The first ever Men’s Health Strategy is an important milestone, and the fact that it correctly identifies gambling as a significant risk is particularly welcome. Under the leadership of the Department of Health [and Social Care], progress in tackling preventable health issues that disproportionately impact men, such as problem gambling, will at last be possible.
Greg Fell, President of the Association of Directors of Public Health, said:
This new strategy recognises that there is no one solution and sets out sensible and achievable goals that everyone involved in improving men’s health and wellbeing can work towards.
We are pleased to see this new strategy emphasises preventing the many avoidable illnesses and diseases - including a number of cancers and respiratory and mental health conditions - that are driven by smoking, drinking and gambling. The focus on improving wellbeing is also welcome.
At a local level, directors of public health already fund a variety of projects tackling these issues - many of which are organised by the voluntary sector. For this strategy to be truly effective, the government must build on the positive changes that are already being made, not just in the short term but for generations of boys and men to come.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive at the British Heart Foundation, said:
Cardiovascular disease is one of the UK’s biggest killers of men, claiming the lives of more than one in 4 of our brothers, fathers, uncles and sons. Today’s strategy for England is a vital step forward in tackling this major health challenge.
CVD doesn’t affect all men equally, so we fully back ambitions to improve the health and wellbeing of all men and boys by meeting them where they are and increasing the support available for them in their local community.
We are pleased to see government recognise the important role environmental and social influences play in men’s health, and how addressing these can help protect more men from developing CVD. For example, investing in support to quit smoking will enable more men and boys to live long lives in good heart health for generations to come.
Mark Brooks OBE, Director of Policy, Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys, said:
The Men’s Health Strategy is game changing. Alongside focusing on improving health outcomes for men and boys, it puts men’s health firmly on the map. This is because, for the first-ever time, it is recognised as a distinct and vital area of public policy, professional practice and public health. The complementary focus on health research is very welcome too. The more evidence and understanding we have of what works will be a huge leap forward. This not only benefits men and boys themselves, it benefits their families, the community and the economy.
James Grimes, Director of Chapter One, Gambling with Lives, said:
The release of this strategy is very welcome, especially in its recognition of the health harms caused by gambling - harms felt by countless men across the country.
As someone who has struggled with mental health issues driven by gambling, I wholeheartedly support the government’s focus on prevention and hope to see continued action on the commercial factors that shape our health.
Peter Baker, Chief Executive, Global Action on Men’s Health, said:
It’s great that England has joined the handful of countries around the world with national men’s health strategies. We know that a male-focused, co-ordinated and system-wide approach can accelerate the changes that are urgently needed to improve men’s unnecessarily poor outcomes and we hope that other governments will now soon follow England’s excellent example.
Councillor Dr Wendy Taylor MBE, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Health and Wellbeing Committee, said:
Recognising men’s health as a national concern is an important step to improving the stark discrepancies in life expectancy and health outcomes, particularly between men living in wealthy and deprived areas.
We know that men face unique barriers to care, including lower engagement with preventive services, cultural stigmas and distrust associated with seeking help. Tailored interventions such as mental health outreach and workplace health initiatives are essential to overcoming these issues. Local councils have been working in partnership with community groups and grassroots organisations to effectively address men’s health in this way and they remain ideally placed to lead and foster this working.
The silent health crisis among men is a pressing issue for society, but with sustained attention and collective action, we can ensure that more men receive the support they need to lead longer, happier and healthier lives.
Dr John Chisholm CBE, Chair of the Men’s Health Forum, said:
I welcome today’s publication of the Men’s Health Strategy for England and the personal commitment of the Secretary of State to that strategy. The Men’s Health Forum has been campaigning and advocating for a national strategy for over a decade, working with other organisations.
A strategic, gendered approach to healthcare should improve access and outcomes and address inequalities. It is particularly welcome that organisations committed to improving the health of men and boys will be involved in a stakeholder group helping to implement the strategy, and that there is a commitment to evaluate progress in a year’s time. It is also encouraging that the strategy addresses societal, structural and systemic issues that hamper the health and wellbeing of men and boys.
Caroline Ellis, Chief Executive Officer of the UK Men’s Sheds Association, said:
The UK Men’s Sheds Association (UKMSA) welcomes the launch of England’s first-ever Men’s Health Strategy.
It is a landmark moment that recognises the importance of community-based and peer-led spaces in supporting men’s health and wellbeing. We look forward to working with local communities, partners and policymakers to turn the strategy into positive outcomes for men and boys across the country.
General Secretary to the National Union of Mineworkers, Chris Kitchen, said:
We welcome the Men’s Health Strategy and particularly the announcement of extra support for mineworkers with respiratory conditions.
It is something we have been actively campaigning for and we are delighted the government has taken this onboard and is taking action.