Men's Health Week (Monday 15 to Sunday 21 June 2026) is an opportunity to raise awareness of the health challenges facing men, encourage conversations about physical and mental wellbeing, and highlight the role of research in improving prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and support. The annual campaign brings together organisations, healthcare professionals, researchers, and communities to address the factors that affect men's health and promote healthier lives.
Men continue to experience significant health inequalities across a range of conditions, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, mental health problems, and preventable illnesses. Men are often less likely to seek help for health concerns, attend routine health checks, or access support services, which can contribute to poorer health outcomes and reduced life expectancy. Primary care plays a vital role in promoting men's health through prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing support.
- NEWS: New Research Highlights Prostate Cancer Inequalities and Builds on SPCR Insights. A new study, building on earlier insights from SPCR project, has highlighted significant inequalities in prostate cancer diagnosis and outcomes for men with learning disabilities.
- RESEARCH: Cardiovascular disease and delayed help-seeking are major issues in men’s health. Clare Goyder and Emily McFadden project is REDUCE-HF, an Electronic Health Records study in OpenSAFELY: Using big data, machine learning and community co-production to reduce inequalities in the primary care diagnosis of heart failure (SPCR Grant Reference Number 784]. The study focuses on GP diagnosis of heart failure to help people live longer and healthier lives.
- RESEARCH: Physical inactivity is a major health issue in the UK. It contributes to illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and depression. Rosina Cross project looks at the Development and refinement of the parkrun practice initiative. It targets chronic disease prevention, inactivity, and wellbeing - all important in preventative men’s health work.
- PUBLICATION: Care gaps among people presenting to the hospital following self-harm: observational study of three emergency departments in England , Sarah Steeg et al write for BMJ Open. Conclusions Care gaps were higher among hospital-presenting groups known to have increased risks of suicide: men, those in middle age, unemployed individuals and those misusing substances. This work was funded by a Fellowship to Sarah Steeg (award number: MHF009) as part of the Three NIHR Research Schools Mental Health Programme
Recent areas of men's health research have explored topics such as mental health and wellbeing, cardiovascular disease prevention, cancer screening and diagnosis, healthy ageing, health inequalities, access to primary care services, and the social and behavioural factors that influence health outcomes. Continued research in these areas is essential to improving the health and wellbeing of men throughout their lives.
Through continued collaboration with patients, healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, and community organisations, the SPCR remains committed to improving men's health, reducing health inequalities, supporting earlier diagnosis and intervention, and ensuring that research addresses the priorities and needs of men across the UK.