The State of Men's Health in Europe

A better understanding of the health of men is essential for two main reasons. The first relates to the need for our male population to be as fit and able as possible. The second is tied to the fundamental values of equality and equity, as we are seeing many men whose lives are blighted through a collective lack of awareness and action on the problems they are facing. This has a huge impact not only on men themselves, but also their families and the wider society. This report helps create the baseline understanding of the state of men’s health across the 27 Member States of European Union, the 4 states of the European Free Trade Association and the 3 candidate countries. In doing so it provides a platform on which to build the aspirations of the European Public Health Programme, Together for Health: A Strategic Approach for the EU 2008-2013. The report provides analysis of a broad range of health and social issues that affect the health of men and attempts to give an insight into why men seem so vulnerable to premature death and so challenging with regard to many aspects of their lifestyles. Using routinely collected statistics on morbidity and mortality and data from academic literature, as comprehensive a picture as possible has been compiled on the state of men’s health across Europe. The purpose of this report is to inform policy makers, health professionals, academics and the wider population of the health challenges men face and to suggest how these challenges are to be overcome.