The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have overlooked socio-economic status as a determinant of premature mortality, according to a recent article in The Lancet. The authors analysed data from more than 1·7 million individuals in 48 independent cohort studies from seven countries and found that the independent association between socioeconomic status and mortality is comparable in strength and consistency to those of six key risk factors (tobacco use, alcohol consumption, insufficient physical activity, raised blood pressure, obesity, diabetes). They also found that men with low socio-economic status had a 42% greater risk of premature mortality than men with high status. The comparable figure for women was 34%, suggesting that low status has a greater impact on men's health.

Last month, Brazil and New Zealand started to vaccinate boys as well as girls against HPV (human papillomavirus). Australia, Austria, Bermuda, Canada, Israel, Italy, Switzerland and the USA are also either already vaccinating boys as well as girls or have decided to do so.  This is an important step forwards for men's health because HPV doesn't just cause cervical cancer. It can also cause penile cancer in men and anal and oral cancers as well as genital warts in both sexes. The total burden of the disease is in fact shared about equally by males and females. Vaccinating both sexes is therefore good public health as well as equitable and cost-effective. Men's health organisations (including several GAMH members) and others are currently supporting HPV Action, a campaign which is making the case for gender-neutral vaccination in  the UK.

Fathers experience psychological distress in the perinatal period but question the legitimacy of their experiences, according to recently published UK research. The study found that men may be reluctant to express their support needs or seek help amid concerns that to do so would detract from their partner’s needs. The authors suggest that resources are needed that are tailored to men, framed around fatherhood, rather than mental health or mental illness, and align men’s self-care with their role as supporter and protector.

Following Donald Trump's election, men and men's organisations that support feminism have been obliged to consider the impact on gender equality in the USA (and beyond) and what their response should be. There was an interesting article in The Guardian by Stephen Marche suggesting that Trump 'represents far more than a setback for women. He also represents the failure of men to deal with their own questions of gender.' Marche argues that men need to listen to women and 'we need to listen to ourselves as well. It is men who need to say “this is not us.” But then we would have to think about who we are.'

One of our members, Promundo, has organised a petition for men in the USA which calls on Trump  'to show us all that you are a man who believes in women’s equality and opposes discrimination and violence of all kinds by men against women and girls.'

A very good way of following global health news is via the free weekly IHP newsletter. Many of the items cover gender and some men's issues specifically. The daily Global Health News eBulletin is also well worth a look.