Men's health campaign

woody81

June 9, 2008
THE Federal Government will spend $460,000 on a suicide prevention strategy, as part of a focus to improve men's health.

The money will be spent in four areas — $122,000 for a men's health information and resource centre at the University of Western Sydney, $80,000 for the Toowoomba older men's network, $150,000 for the workplace program OzHelp Tasmania, and $117,000 for INCOLink, a Victorian program aimed at preventing suicide for apprentices in the building industry.

Another $95,000 will go on a campaign to encourage men to get preventive health checks.

Figures released by Health Minister Nicola Roxon's office showed men were expected to live 4.8 years less than women and were three times more likely to commit suicide. They also experience 70% of the burden of disease related to injury.

Average life expectancy of indigenous Australian males is just 59 years, 20 years less than for non-indigenous men.

AAP