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Improving the health of men and boys in Canada

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As of March 2, 2026, members of the public will be able to fill out a questionnaire to help inform our federal strategy by June 1, 2026.

Canada’s Men and Boys’ Health Strategy

The Government of Canada is engaging provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous partners and key stakeholders to develop a Men and Boys’ Health Strategy. The goal is to create supportive and safe environments, challenge harmful stereotypes, reduce stigma and encourage men of all ages to seek help when they need it.

Improving the health of men and boys is a shared effort. The factors that lead to poorer health outcomes for men and boys are complex and interrelated, and don’t begin in adulthood.

Join the conversation

Your voice is important.

As of March 2, 2026, members of the public will be able to fill out a questionnaire to help inform our federal strategy by June 1, 2026.

Organizations and experts are encouraged to submit written briefs responding to the following questions:

  1. How can we support boys and men in understanding and dealing with traditional ideas about masculinity in healthy ways, including:
    1. overcoming stigma?
    2. feeling comfortable asking for help?
  2. How do we help men build healthy relationships and adopt healthy habits that improve their overall well-being?
    1. What role do male role models, mentors and community leaders play in shaping healthier norms?
    2. How can we amplify positive examples of masculinity?
  3. How do we help men seek out the care they need:
    1. to support their mental health and well-being?
    2. for any challenges with substance use or addiction?
  4. How do different life stages shape men’s well-being? For example, adolescence, early adulthood, fatherhood, midlife and retirement.
    1. Where are the biggest transition points where support is most needed?

 Written briefs requirements:

All text contained in the body of the submission counts towards the page and word limit. This includes items like graphs, quotes, images and footnotes.

Email your submission to us by June 1, 2026, at 11:59PM PST.

Email: menshealth-santemasculine@hc-sc.gc.ca

International strategies for men’s health

To inform our work, we’re looking at international approaches to men’s health:

We’re also looking at previous provincial and territorial work, such as Quebec’s former men’s health strategy, and work by men’s health stakeholders, like Movember.

Learn more:

About men’s health

Health includes physical, mental and social well-being at all stages of life.

Men in Canada face distinct health challenges, including shorter life expectancy (80 years compared to 84 years in women). They also experience higher rates of:

Figure 1. Life expectancy
Figure 1. Text version below.
Figure 1: Descriptive text

An image with two silhouettes and text. On the top of the image, there is text saying "as of 2024". Under the male silhouette, the text reads "80.0 years (male)". Under the female silhouette, the text reads "84.3 years (female)."

Men are also less likely to engage with primary care or access preventive services, including health screening, with 65% of Canadian men waiting more than six days with symptoms before visiting the doctor.

These differences are not simply biological. Social, economic and cultural factors also play a major role in shaping health outcomes. For example, men are more likely to have lower education levels, and experience higher rates of incarceration and homelessness than women.

Mental health of men and boys

Young men aged 15 to 24 show concerning trends in their self-rated mental health and rates of mental illness. For instance, between 2012 and 2022:

Figure 2. Mental health trends
Figure 2. Text version below.
Figure 2: Descriptive text

An image with two arrows and text. On the left side, there is an arrow pointing down with the text "declining self-rated mental health" underneath. On the right side, there is an arrow pointing up with the text "increasing prevalence of mental illness.”

Young men who are not in employment, education or training face higher risks of mental illness and substance use.
Learn more:

Structural, social and economic influences on health

There is a growing body of evidence on how gender, along with other social determinants of health, influence risk factors and health outcomes.  Additionally, some groups of men face greater health challenges, such as men who are:

Some groups of men in Canada are at higher risk of suicide, including men who are:

These men often face more barriers to accessing supports due to social and economic influences on health, such as:

Learn more:

Other programs

Within the Health Portfolio, we support men’s health and well-being by:

The federal government also funds and supports:

A focus on men’s health does not replace the important work underway to support women’s health. Women continue to face distinct health risks and inequities, and we remain committed to closing those gaps. Our focus on men’s health complements this approach.

Learn more:

Contact us

Health Policy Branch
Health Canada
Email: menshealth-santemasculine@hc-sc.gc.ca

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2026-02-23