15/06/2026
Men’s Health Week 2026 runs from 15 to 21 June. The Week is organised by the Men’s Health Forum, and this year’s theme is ‘men and pharmacy’. The Forum will be publishing a new report focusing on how men can make better use of pharmacies to improve their physical and mental health.
Currently, almost three-quarters of men who visit pharmacies don’t discuss their health with a pharmacist, whereas there should be a real opportunity to turn pharmacy visits into greater engagement with preventative health services. The Men’s Health Forum has developed a five-step plan to help pharmacies engage with men: creating a welcoming space; appointing a men’s health champion; offering dedicated services; improving access and guaranteeing privacy; and engaging proactively with men in the local community.
· In 2024, 36 per cent of men died before their 75th birthday, with nearly one in five dying before they were 65.
· Male life expectancy is lower than in many other OECD countries and varies substantially within the UK between the richest and poorest areas.
· Men spend, on average, over a fifth of their lives in poor health and die nearly four years before women.
· Men’s healthy life expectancy is just 61.5 years.
· Men face high rates of su***de, cancer mortality, diabetes, and deaths from heart disease and COVID-19.
· Men of working age are less likely to visit doctors than women.
Premature death and ill health have consequences for society and families, resulting in benefit costs and economic and tax losses.
