Three hundred delegates from around the world attended the First World
Congress on Men’s Health Conference speakers addressed a wide range of
issues, including the state of men’s health worldwide; specific
conditions, such as prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, osteoporosis,
the andropause, HIV infection, and heart disease; the health of gay men;
and strategies to improve the overall health of men. The International
Society for Men’s Health and the European Men’s Health Forum were also
launched during the conference.

Men’s health organizations, such as the Men’s Health Forum in England
and Wales and the Men’s Health Network in the United States, are
lobbying for the introduction of male-friendly health policies and
developing their own health promotion initiatives. Both organizations
are heavily involved in promoting Men’s Health Week in their respective
countries.

Men’s Health Forum in London, and a general practitioner based in
Northern Ireland, drew attention to the extent of premature death
among males in Europe (unpublished; presented at the launch of the
European Men’s Health Forum).

The European Men’s Health Forum (EMHF) was launched on November 2, 2001,
in Vienna. This independent, nongovernmental, not-for-profit body aims
to tackle the serious health problems affecting men across Europe by
raising the profile of men’s health at a Europe-wide level and within
individual countries. It will also focus on improving the delivery of
health services to men and increasing men’s awareness of their own
health. For more information about EMHF, visit the organization’s Web
site at: www.emhf.org.