Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Higgins, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is Men's Health Week and a timely reminder for men to prioritise their health and wellbeing. As the co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Men's Health, I'd like to focus on gaps and the need for action.

Loneliness and social isolation are an emerging public health problem. According to Healthy Male, a respected organisation with roots in Higgins, an alarming 43 per cent of Australian men experience loneliness. Loneliness is not merely a fleeting emotion; it has far-reaching health consequences, comparable to smoking half a packet of cigarettes a day. It increases the risk of stroke, depression, anxiety and even cognitive decline.

On average, Australian men die six years younger than women. According to the Men's Health Forum, four out of five deaths from heart disease are of men. Similarly, three out of four suicide deaths, road deaths and violent deaths involve men. Men under 75 are twice as likely as women to succumb to preventable causes.

So what can we do? A handy acronym for men is CYM, 'check your mate'. C is for connection and Y is to have a yarn, while M is to motivate yourself and others towards wellbeing and away from illness. Connected, self-motivated men who confide in others are going to be healthier and more effective in their families, their workplaces, their sporting teams and our communities.