25 years post‐Calman: the state of men's health in the UK

Abstract

25 years have passed since the then Chief Medical Officer, Sir Kenneth Calman, included men's health as a ‘special topic’ in his annual public health report.1 Peter Baker reflects on what has been achieved in the men's health field during this time and what issues remain in need of attention.

Are sex disparities in COVID-19 a predictable outcome of failing men’s health provision?

“…The sex gap in COVID-19 is currently making headlines, but, notably, differences in life expectancy according to sex were reported as early as the nineteenth century 68 and still persist, despite the establishment of focused Men’s Health charities (for example, the Men’s Health Forum, which is aimed at improving both men’s health and male health services 69 ) and equality legislation (such as The Equality Act of 2006, which mandated all public health sectors to promote gender equality 70 ) 71 . Globally, men’s life expectancy is 5.1 years lower than women’s 72 .…”