It started as a simple idea - produce an over view briefing for the first big meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Men's Health of the new parliament.
In compiling the statistics for the MHF's new publication, the State of Men's Health, I realised just how long it had been since we last produced such a doucment. Most of the Forum's work is project based, such as our current work on men and bowel cancer screening, or themed to a particular issue, such as Men's Health Week 2011 on health on the net.
I also saw that the dry numbers tell a tragic tale - men's lives are too short. Well, the government is re-organising the NHS and about to over-haul public health policy so it is an important time to tell this story.
The MHF's Lives Too Short campaign was launched yesterday, the MHF team were on BBC tv and radio 5Live as well as just about every local BBC radio station in England. By the time we got to the launch event, the All Party Group's autumn reception, everyone knew about it. Or at least thought they did.
We were so grateful that the BBC recognised the scale of the problem and acted accordingly but while it aggravates many of the issues raised, the campaign is about so much more than men avoiding the GP.
Read more about Lives Too Short.
