Men’s Health Week: Health by numbers

This week we are marking International Men’s Health Week – a time for us all to put men’s health on the map and draw attention to how their overall health can be improved through increased dialogue, awareness and understanding.

In 2016, average global male life expectancy lagged female life expectancy by four years. There was not a single country where men lived longer than women. About 70 countries had a life expectancy gender gap of five years or more and two countries, Lithuania and Russia, where Wood operates, had a gap of over 10 years between men and women.

Despite advances in medical technology this gap is widening. It is projected that, by 2030, the average difference in life expectancy between the sexes will increase to seven years.

When it comes to conditions such as cancer, 14% more men are likely to develop cancer, and 37% are more likely to die from the disease than women. Yet over half of these cases could have been prevented through some simple lifestyle choices.

Over the last 45 years, suicide rates have increased by 60% worldwide. Male suicide rates are several times higher than female and it is still the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in several countries across the globe.

Support and encouragement could help to reverse these unnecessary and tragic figures – after all these aren’t just statistics but our colleagues and loved ones.

Men’s Health Week at Wood aims to help drive this change. We are encouraging our people to learn more about men’s health and promoting open conversations on topics such as prostate cancer, heart disease, smoking as well as mental health.

We all need to stand up, learn more about the health challenges that men face and champion the positive choices which can bring significant benefits.

Dr Joan Patterson
Director of Occupational Health