3 Sep 2008

Forum tackles state of men's health

7:19 pm on 3 September 2008

The state of men's health is not what it should be and 80 people from health and social agencies throughout New Zealand have met to thrash out some solutions.

The Improving Men's Health Forum, held in Wellington on Wednesday, was funded from $2.5 million set aside by the Government to improve men's health.

Although life expectancy for men has improved in recent decades, men still die on average four years earlier than women, and Maori men have a life expectancy of 69 - eight years less than non-Maori men.

Speakers at the forum stressed that more needs to be done to target specific groups of at-risk men, and not just lump all men in together.

Many delegates were also optimistic that the forum will kick-start efforts to make serious inroads into men's health problems.

Associate Health Minister Damien O'Connor told delegates that applications for the $300,000 Men's Health Innovation Fund are open from Wednesday.