Labor pledges $32m for men’s health initiatives
Helping men get over their reluctance to see a doctor is part of a Labor’s new $32m health funding election pledge.
Labor will fund men’s health charity Movember to build a new campaign encouraging men to stop avoiding health check-ups if it wins next week’s federal election, part of a new $32m promise to bolster men’s health.
The health funding pledge also includes more money for Men’s Sheds, and a separate grant to the Black Dog Institute to research men’s mental health.
The biggest commitment is to Movember, with $11.3m to provide men’s health care training to primary healthcare workers and to develop the program to encourage men to get to a doctor. The training will target more than 60,000 doctors and nurses.
“Too many blokes put off prioritising their health,” federal Health Minister Mark Butler said. “This investment by Labor into Movember’s training will mean doctors and nurses have the right tools to support men.”
Movember chief executive Michelle Terry said too many Australian men and boys were falling through the cracks of the healthcare system. “This investment into primary care will help to equip GPs and clinicians with the tools to better engage and support men with their healthcare needs,” Ms Terry said.
The other $20m will support a range of men’s health programs, including $8.3m for Men’s Sheds to fund grants of up to $10,000 for individual outlets.
“The Albanese government’s commitment will support the Australian Men’s Shed Association to grow our reach, particularly in regional and rural Australia, and positively impact the wellbeing of more than 75,000 men who visit their local shed,” chief executive David Helmers said.
Another $2m will be provided to the Black Dog Institute for mental health and suicide prevention research.
“Rates of mental ill health continue to rise amongst Australian men,” Black Dog Institute chief scientist Sam Harvey said. “This funding will allow us to better understand why this is happening and, crucially, to develop new interventions that can get the best available help to men when and where they need it.”
Healthcare has been one of the big spending policy areas of the election campaign, with Labor committing $8.5bn over four years to boost bulk-billed GP visits, a commitment quickly matched by the Coalition.
Doctors have hit back, concerned all patients will expect to be bulk-billed, even when the new arrangements aren’t financially viable for some GPs.
Mr Butler on Wednesday said some people will continue to pay a gap fee when they see their GP, but the government hoped to provide bulk-billing for 90 per cent of all Australians.
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