| Author (Person) | Banks, Martin |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.9, No.26, 10.7.03, p3 |
| Publication Date | 10/07/2003 |
| Content Type | News |
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Date: 10/07/03 By Martin Banks HEALTH inequalities between men and women across the EU are "worrying" and "startling", the first comprehensive study on men's health across Europe shows. The message of the report, launched on 8 July at the European Parliament, is: "Men die earlier than they should and from diseases they shouldn't die from." It says that, although people's well-being has improved, male health is still relatively poor. The average life expectancy of a European male is 75.2 years (81.1 years for women) but there are "significant" variations between countries. There is a marked East/West divide - in Russia, for instance, the average male lifespan is 61 years, while in the Netherlands a man can expect to reach 75. The projected life expectancy of men across Europe in 2020 predicts a shorter life for males than women were enjoying in the 1980s. The 130-page study, called Men's Health: Europe's forgotten challenge, was undertaken by the European Men's Health Forum, a Brussels-based non-governmental organization. Researchers studied the health of 190 million men from the EU's 15 member states, plus Norway and Switzerland. Key findings include:
The report urges additional research to identify the reasons for health inequalities and to "urgently" address them at EU level. Keith Cash, of Leeds Metropolitan University in the UK, said: "Our findings suggest there needs to be a refocusing of health strategy to target both men and women's individual health challenges rather than relying on a "one-policy-fits-all" approach." A report on men's health across Europe, launched at the European Parliament on 8 July 2003, has found worrying inequalities between men and women. According to the report, 'men die earlier than they should and from diseases they shouldn't die from'. |
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| Subject Categories | Health |
