INTERNATIONAL MEN'S HEALTH WEEK: 15 JUNE 2020 THROUGH 21 JUNE 2020

The United States International Men’s Day Team (http://www.usa internationalmensday.blogspot.com)  joins individuals, organization, and institutions in nations throughout the world which include Ethiopia, Zambia, South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Belgium, Canada, Romania, Mexico, Netherlands, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, New Zealand and Australia in observing 2020 International Men’s Health Week commencing 15 June 2020 and ending on 21 June 2020.  International Men’s Health Week was the brainchild of the Second World Congress on Men’s Health, led by the Men’s Health Network (http://www.menshealth network.org) and  convened in Vienna, Austria in 2002.  International Men’s Health Week places the  global spotlight on the health issues of Men and Boys as it encourages international and intranational institutions to develop health policies and services that effectively address the unique health  needs of Men and Boys which also impacts their families.

Why is there a need for a special focus on the specific and unique health needs of Men and Boys throughout our global village?  Here are a few reasons:

·         On 16 June 2020, the World Economic Forum (https://www. weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/covid19-mortality-rates-men-women) disclosed that nations throughout our global village are reporting that the mortality rate for COVID-19 for Men  is much higher than the mortality rate for Women who contract COVID-19.  Why?  Current medical research has discovered the mast cell  -- a tissue cell -- which is responsible for mediating inflammatory responses such as hypersensitivity and allergic reactions, for some reason, issues a less active immune response in Men than in Women.  Mast cells, when stimulated by an allergen, are responsible for releasing the contents of their granules into surrounding tissues.  

·         There are 3.9 billion souls who are males in the world.  The life expectancy for Men throughout our global village is 70.8 years, while Women have a life expectancy of 75.6 years.

·         One out of nine men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.   Approximately 191,930 Men have been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer in the United States during Calendar Year 2020 and 33,330 American men have succumbed to prostate cancer.

·         The World Health Organization (https://www.who.int) estimates that close to 800,000 suicides occur annually.  Twice as many males than females commit suicide. As an example, in 2017, according to an article penned by Hannah Ritchie, Max Roser, and Estaban Ortiz-Ospina entitled, “Suicide” and published by Our World In Data (https://ourworldindata.org/suicide#suicide-by-gender), the “global suicide rate for women was 6.3 deaths per 100,000; for men, it was just over twice that figure at 13.9 per 100,000” in 2017.

The United States International Men’s Day Team supports the establishment of an Office of Men’s Health within the United States Department of Health and Human Services that would advocate for Men’s Health in the same manner that the Office Of Women’s Health, established in 1991, advocates for Women’s Health.  An Office Of Men’s Health would (A) mandate increased medical research and medical research funding for COVID-19, prostate cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s Disease; (B)  advocate for the increased establishment of and equal access to mental and physical health resources and support services for Men and Boys; (C) promote much needed mental and physical health education and awareness programs for Men and Boys; and (D) treat suicide as a national  health emergency for Men and Boys and vigorously work to reduce and eradicate the alarmingly rising rate of suicides among Men and Boys.