Men's Health Week 2022 - MISSION: isPOSSIBLE

Almost everyone has heard of the 'MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE' franchise.  Each episode / film starts in the same way, with an invitation: ‘your mission, should you choose to accept it, is …’  During Men's Health Week 2022, men and boys on the island of Ireland are also being asked to step up and to accept their own personal health challenge.

So, what is Men’s Health Week?
International Men's Health Week (MHW) always begins on the Monday before Father's Day and ends on Father's Day itself.  During 2022, it will run from Monday 13th until Sunday 19th June.

It is celebrated in many European countries, as well as in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and a number of other places worldwide.  The overall aims are to:

• Heighten awareness of preventable health problems for males of all ages.
• Support men and boys to engage in healthier lifestyle choices / activities.
• Encourage the early detection and treatment of health difficulties in males.

But, why is Men’s Health Week needed?
Males constitute almost 50% of the population on the island of Ireland and, therefore, deserve to have a gender lens focused upon their specific health needs.

In recent years, a broad range of research has highlighted the challenges which face men and boys in Ireland and further afield.  Indeed, the key hard facts were crystallised in the ‘Men’s Health in Numbers’ publications which were launched recently (see: www.mhfi.org/news/1096-men-s-health-in-numbers.html).

These show that ...

• Local men continue to die, on average, younger than women do.
• Poor lifestyles (including smoking, drinking, diet and lack of exercise) are responsible for a high proportion of chronic diseases.
• Males have higher death rates than women for almost all of the leading causes of death, and at all ages.
• Men’s mental health needs are often not recognised or met.
• Late presentation to health services leads to a large number of problems becoming untreatable ...

However, this is not a ‘lost cause’, and this situation can be improved in many significant ways.

MISSION:isPOSSIBLE
Men's Health Week 2022 takes place in the context of an easing of the restrictions introduced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.  Worldwide, this virus had a major impact upon men's health as well as their wider lives (www.mhfi.org/coronavirus.html).

For a couple of years now, COVID has placed a myriad of boundaries upon what we were able to do.  MHW 2022 seeks to reverse this trend, and focuses upon what we can do to take back control of our own health.

During 2022, the theme for MHW in Ireland is 'MISSION:isPOSSIBLE' and the call to men (and those who support the health of men) is: 'The Action Starts with You'.

All too often we set ourselves unrealistic targets.  This year, everyone is asked to do small, simple and practical things to improve their health.  As they say in the MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE films, that’s ‘your mission, should you choose to accept it'.

Everyone can do something to mark MHW 2022 - the only limitation is your imagination ...

• set yourself a personal health and wellbeing challenge;
• put up some posters;
• give out copies of the free 32 page Man Manual;
• Post / Tweet about the week on social media;
• encourage the men you know to get that long-standing health issue seen to …

Everything, no matter how simple, will contribute hugely to improving the health of local men and boys.

Find out all that you need to know about the week at: www.mhfi.org/mhw/mhw-2022.html