Men's Health Week 2026

 

International Men's Health Week (MHW) always begins on the Monday before Father's Day and ends on Father's Day itself.  During 2026, it ran from Monday 15th until Sunday 21st June.

MHW is celebrated in many European countries, as well as in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and a number of other places worldwide.  The overall aims of the week are to:

  • -  Heighten awareness of preventable health problems for males of all ages.
  • -  Support men and boys to engage in healthier lifestyle choices / activities.
  • -  Encourage the early detection and treatment of health difficulties in males.

But why is there a need to hold a Men's Health Week? ...  Males constitute almost 50% of the population on the island of Ireland and, therefore, deserve to have a gender lens focused upon their specific health needs.  Research clearly shows that these men experience a disproportionate burden of ill-health and die too young ...

  • -  Local men die younger than women do.
  • -  Males have higher death rates than females for almost all of the leading causes of death and at all ages.
  • -  Men’s poorer lifestyles are responsible for a high proportion of chronic diseases.
  • -  Late presentation to health services can lead to a large number of problems becoming untreatable ...

Indeed, while many of these conditions are preventable, their prevalence amongst men may, in fact, rise in the future.

Each year, there is also a specific theme for MHW.  During 2026, the theme for the island of Ireland was 'One Step at a Time' and everyone was asked to make progress - not seek perfection!

The celebration of Men's Health Week on the island of Ireland during 2026 was funded by the Health Service Executive Health and Wellbeing and the Public Health Agency. 

 

 

Please use the links below to find out everything that you need to know about MHW 2026 ...

Quick Overview of Men's Health Week 2026

Why is the 'One Step at a Time' theme relevant for Men's Health Week 2026?

Are you ready for Men's Health Week?  Take the Agent Mann Challenge to find out.

Why focus upon men's health?

Do you know your numbers?

Who can be involved in this week?

All-Island Planning Group for Men's Health Week 2026

Poster for Men's Health Week 2026

Postcard for Men's Health Week 2026

Men’s Health Week 2026 Graphics Pack

'Action Man - ten top tips for men's health' Man Manual

How to keep up-to-date with the latest MHW 2026 news

What can I do to mark Men's Health Week 2026?

Get some inspiration from what others have done in the past

Raise the profile of Men's Health Week 2026 - Get Tweeting / Posting!

Tell others about your Men’s Health Week 2026 activities

Get a taste of some of the events taking place during Men's Health Week 2026

Men's Health Week 2026 - A Toolbox for Action

Video resources for Men's Health Week 2026 [includes Launch Statements from Ministers]

Webinar to Launch Men's Health Week 2026

Men's Health Week 2026 Ambassadors

Press Release for Men's Health Week 2026

  

 

 

 

 

Quick Overview of Men's Health Week 2026

Do you know what Men's Health Week is all about?  Are you aware of what is available to support it on the island of Ireland?  Would you prefer to HEAR about Men's Health Week 2026 rather than have to READ about it? ...

Have a look at this video below, and Lorcan Brennan (Men's Development Network) and Coli Fowler (Men's Health Forum in Ireland) will tell you everything that you need to know about the week:

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Why is the 'One Step at a Time' theme relevant for Men's Health Week 2026?
What do you think about the theme ('One Step at a Time') for Men's Health Week 2026 in Ireland?  What about the call to action - aim for progress not perfection? ...

This 'Deep Dive' podcast - generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) - dissects these questions, and explores the benefit of not overloading men with expectations that are too high or too demanding.

 

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Take the Agent Mann Challenge ...
Men’s health on the island of Ireland is unnecessarily poor, but it is not a lost cause.  There are many free, simple and practical things that can be done to improve it.  But what are these?

To support Men’s Health Week in 2022, a team of students (Evan Rawl, Hang Thai, Ewa Leszczewicz, Ben O’Quigley, Darragh Smith and Evan Williams) from the Game Design Degree Course in Technological University Dublin developed a ‘Serious Game’ - focusing on male health - that men and boys can play online.  Everyone was offered another chance to play it again this year.

In this retro-style arcade game, the player is invited to take on the character of ‘Agent Mann’ - a spy who is given the mission of tracking down and securing a series of dossiers containing high level ‘Intel’ on how to improve men’s health.

To succeed in his quest, Agent Mann has to navigate through various settings to locate and collect all of the dossiers.  Along the way, he has to learn how to move around in his environment and to use some of the gadgets available to him.  But of course, danger is never far away, and his path is blocked by the henchmen of his nemesis [Mr O’Bese] who try to prevent him from uncovering this vital information.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to …

1. Take on the role of Agent Mann.
2. Find and secure all of the seven dossiers.
3. Memorise what’s in them.
4. Use this information to improve the health of men both now and in the future.

The action starts with you!

Check out the player guidance by clicking here and play the game at: https://www.mhfi.org/AgentMann

NB: This game is best played on a desktop or laptop computer.  Most mobile phones cannot run it.  As it was developed within a very short time-scale, there are also some small glitches.  Simply ignore these, play away and enjoy the experience! 

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Why focus upon men's health?
Not too long ago, we were unaware of the full extent of men’s poor health status and the specific health issues that they must deal with.  However, this is no longer the case.  In recent years, a broad range of research has highlighted the health challenges which face men in Ireland and further afield.  For example ...

Men’s Health in Numbers: Trends Report (PDF, 10.7MB)

Republic of Ireland Men's Health Report Card (PDF, 1.7MB)

Northern Ireland Men's Health Report Card (PDF, 2.07MB)

The Real Face of Men's Health in Ireland (PDF, 9.5MB)

Getting Inside Men’s Health (PDF, 1.5MB)

Men’s Health in Northern Ireland: Tackling the Root Causes of Men’s [ill] Health (PDF, 965KB)

A Report on the all-Ireland Young Men and Suicide Project (PDF, 2.73MB)

Facing the Challenge - The Impact of Recession and Unemployment on Men’s Health in Ireland (PDF, 1.9MB)

A Report on the Excess Burden of Cancer among Men in the Republic of Ireland (PDF, 2.95MB )

The State of Men’s Health in Europe (PDF, 3.63MB)

Middle-Aged Men and Suicide in Ireland (PDF, 4.49MB) ...

Although the health of men in Ireland is poor, it can be improved in many significant ways.  A wide range of innovative and positive work has already taken place to support the health needs of men and boys: Ireland was the first country in the world to have a National Men’s Health Policy which was succeeded by two incarnations of the Healthy Ireland - Men Action Plan; the ‘Engage’ Men’s Health Training and 'MANifest' programmes have influenced how services and structures support males; the CAIRDE initiative is focusing upon reducing male suicide in the construction sector; pioneering approaches have been developed and tested which provide models for improving men’s health; new men’s health / support groups are evolving across the island of Ireland ...  Much has been achieved, but there is still room for improvement.

Of course, men, themselves, need to play a central role in taking control of their health and wellbeing.  But men’s health is not just an issue for individual men.  While it is crucial for men to take responsibility for looking after themselves, their health can often be determined by other factors outside of their personal control.  Thus, there is also a need for policy-makers, service providers, and society as a whole to recognise the role that they need to play, and to do something practical about it.  This will require everyone to focus attention upon the men and boys around us.

During Men's Health Week 2026, individuals and organisations on the island of Ireland were encouraged to take 'one step at a time' and to seek 'progress not perfection'.  Most importantly, everyone was asked to set themselves simple, realistic and practical tasks to improve the health of men and boys on the island of Ireland.

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Do you know your numbers?

During Men's Health Week (MHW) 2024, there was a focus upon three different types of numbers that are important to men's health ...

1.  Statistics on the state of men's health that policy makers and service providers need to know if they are to pursue evidence-informed practice.

2.  Key numbers that men need to know, to take control over some elements of their own health.

3.  Critical contact numbers for help and support services that everyone needs to know at times of difficulty or crisis.

A 'Do You Know Your Numbers?' resource was also created.  This 'z-card' was made available again this year, in both electronic and hard copy.

See what it looks like by visiting: https://www.mhfi.org/MensHealthInNumbers.pdf

If you work / live in the Republic of Ireland, you can order hard copies of this resource from: https://www.healthpromotion.ie  This will allow a maximum of 500 copies to be ordered by registered users and 100 for unregistered users.  Registration is free.


 
 
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Who can be involved in this week?
Men's Health Week (MHW) gives everyone (health professionals, service providers, youth groups, sporting bodies, community organisations, employers, Churches, policy makers, family workers, pharmacists, academics, the media, parents, individuals ...) an opportunity to encourage men and boys to take better care of their health and to seek help or treatment at an early stage.

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All-Island Planning Group for Men's Health Week 2026
Men's Health Week (MHW) 2026 in Ireland was planned by a broad range of partners who contributed to an inter-agency all-island Planning Group.  This body began meeting in December 2025, and had ongoing communication up until the week ended.

The theme for this year’s MHW (i.e. 'One Step at a Time') offered an opportunity for a very wide range of agencies to participate (via video conferencing, face-to-face meetings and electronic communication), and the planning process drew upon the insight, expertise, support and contacts of individuals from ...

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Poster for Men’s Health Week 2026

To promote Men's Health Week (MHW) 2026, a poster was designed.

Posters were available as both A3 and A4 hard copies, and as online electronic files (in a range of sizes and formats suitable for a variety of uses).

Copies of the online electronic version of the poster are available for downloading from: www.mhfi.org/mhw/mhw-image-pack.html#Poster2026

Even people who didn't have time to do anything else for MHW 2026 were encouraged to put up a poster (in their window or elsewhere) to let everyone know when it was taking place.  Although this cost little to do, it made a big difference to promoting the week.

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Postcard for Men's Health Week 2026

Every year since 2014, there has been a Men's Health Week (MHW) postcard to publicise the week.  Traditionally, these cards have been displayed as small flyers in public spaces, and they are often sent by organisations to the men that they have contact with.  This has proved to be a very successful means of letting local men know about the week.

Some groups also use them as 'pledge cards'.  For example, this year, men were asked to think about what steps they could take to improve their health and to write this on the card.  Later on, they could keep this beside their desk, on their work bench, attached to their dashboard etc. to remind them of what they wanted to do and hoped to achieve.

The front of the postcard had a similar design to the MHW poster, and the back had a pre-written message about the week which said:

Hi there,

Do you ever get the feeling that everyone is trying to weigh you down with ‘healthy messages’?

It is true that we all need to: eat 5-7 portions of fruit / vegetables a day; have at least 30 minutes moderate physical activity on five days a week; stop smoking; limit our alcohol consumption; check our bits and bobs …  but, if we aren’t already doing this, then we need to find practical and realistic ways to get ourselves into this routine.

During Men's Health Week 2026, everyone is being asked to simply take ONE STEP AT A TIME and to work towards making progress rather than seeking perfection - to take small steps that can have big results.

If you want a DIY guide to help you to get started, check out the ten top tips in the ‘Action Man’ manual at: https://mhfi.org/ActionMan.pdf

Take it one step at a time, celebrate your achievements, and have a great week!

This year, the postcards were available in both hard copy and as online electronic files.

Copies of the electronic version of the postcard are available for downloading from: www.mhfi.org/mhw/mhw-image-pack.html#Postcard2026

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Men’s Health Week 2026 Graphics Pack

One of the key aims for Men's Health Week (MHW) each year is to let as many people as possible know when it is happening.  To do this, there needs to be a common set of promotional tools.  These were available for free downloading at: www.mhfi.org/mhw/mhw-image-pack.html

This page offers generic MHW images, new resources created specifically for MHW 2026, as well as the ones used in previous years.  There was a ...

These free-to-use graphics came in a range of sizes and formats, and groups and individuals were invited to use any or all of these images to promote MHW in any way they can.

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'Action Man - ten top tips for men's health' Man Manual

 

Research clearly shows that there are many challenges to be faced when seeking to improve men’s health.  However, it also highlights that men’s health can be improved in many significant ways - if the right choices are made.  Men, themselves, have a key role to play in this process.

While some aspects of our health are determined by things which are beyond our personal control (such as genetics, our income, the environment that we live in and our access to services), there are also simple, practical and realistic things which we can all do to improve our health and live a longer life.  None of these are rocket science, and many are just plain old straightforward common sense.    

During previous Men’s Health Weeks, the Men's Health Forum in Ireland produced a ‘Challenges and Choices’ Man Manual, which was distributed free-of-charge to males throughout the whole island of Ireland.  This publication has now been replaced by the 'Action Man - ten top tips for men's health' booklet.

This booklet doesn't preach or lecture - it simply explains: (i) WHY an action is needed; (ii) WHAT can be done about it; and (iii) HOW to find support if you need it.  Thus, the ten top tips put you into the driving seat, and give you the tools and DIY instructions to make positive changes - if you choose to be your own ‘Action Man’.

'Action Man' was updated for 2026 and, during MHW this year, was available in both hard copy and in electronic format.  A copy of the online version can be downloaded by clicking here.

The production of the Man Manuals was funded by the Health Service Executive Health and Wellbeing, Healthy Ireland within the Department of Health, and the Public Health Agency.

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How to keep up-to-date with the latest MHW 2026 news

     

Everyone was invited to keep up-to-date with the latest news on Men’s Health Week (MHW) 2026 by checking out the MHW Facebook page (www.facebook.com/MensHealthWeek) and Twitter / X feed (www.twitter.com/MensHealthIRL), and was encouraged to send these links to all their friends.

People who are into social media, were also asked to Tweet about MHW using the hashtags #MensHealthWeek | #ProgressNotPerfection | #SmallStepsBigResults

A raft of free bespoke social media images for MHW 2026 in Ireland were made available at: https://mhfi.org/mhw/mhw-image-pack.html#SocialMedia2026

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What can I do to mark Men’s Health Week 2026?

Everyone can do something to support and celebrate Men’s Health Week (MHW) each year.

The focus for MHW 2026 (i.e. ‘One Step at a Time’) lent itself to a wide range of ways to mark this occasion.  However, there was no need to stick rigidly to this particular theme.  Anything which promotes the week and encourages men and boys to lead healthier lifestyles, to be more aware of preventable health problems, and to seek early detection and treatment for health difficulties was very welcome!

Some people had the time, energy, resources and skill to plan something elaborate.  However, even if this was not possible, there were still many simple, free and easy ways to get involved / show support - such as putting-up the poster in public spaces, giving out copies of the postcard to men, social media posting, directing men to the Man Manual, giving out the Men's Health in Numbers Z-Card, using the MHW graphics ...

For practical ideas and inspiration, everyone was invited to check-out: 'What Can I Do To Mark This Week?'

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Get some inspiration from what others have done in the past
On Wednesday 15th April 2026, the Men's Health Forum in Ireland joined with HSE and Wellbeing, Men's Development Network and the National Centre for Men's Health in SETU to run a webinar focusing on potential ways to mark Men's Health Week (MHW).  This event highlighted practical examples of work that groups across Ireland have undertaken in the past to celebrate the week.

You can watch a recording of this event below ...

 

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Raise the profile of Men's Health Week 2026 - Get Tweeting / Posting!

Men’s health issues and needs are numerous and complicated.  So much so, that we could probably assign a different one to highlight on each day of the year and still have an outstanding pool of ones to explore!  However, when preparing for Men’s Health Week (MHW) 2026, the all-island Planning Group felt that it would be useful to draw attention to a specific theme on each day during the week, as well as announce the final countdown to MHW during the week before.

The focus for each day this year was ...

  • Before the week begins:  Get Ready - Men’s Health Week is Coming!
  • Friday 12th June:  Take One Step at a Time - progress not perfection
  • Monday 15th June:  Trash the ash (and save the cash)
  • Tuesday 16th June:  Prevention is better than cure
  • Wednesday 17th June:  Food for thought
  • Thursday 18th June:  Rethink what you drink
  • Friday 19th June:  Be Mind fit
  • Saturday 20th June:  Let’s get physical - be more than a sports spectator
  • Sunday 21st June:  Father's Day - the important role that fathers play in their children's lives

Social media (especially Facebook, Twitter / X, Instagram and TikTok) has become a powerful tool for organisations to spread their message.  During Men’s Health Week 2026, everyone was encouraged to ‘Post’ and ‘Tweet’ about it and, when possible, to use the hashtags: #MensHealthWeek | #ProgressNotPerfection | #SmallStepsBigResults

To support this, a range of social media graphics related to the daily themes were available.

For those people who would like to support MHW 2026 using their own social media channels - but who didn't have the time, energy or knowledge to develop their own messages - there was also a ready-made pool of Posts and Tweets that could be simply cut-and-pasted from.  Click here to download these suggestions.

Even loading a few things to websites / Facebook pages / Twitter - X feeds / Instagram / other social media platforms made a huge difference to publicising the week.  This was, therefore, an easy and free way to show support for MHW.

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Tell others about your Men’s Health Week 2026 activities
The Men's Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI) always seeks to promote the details of activities / happenings / events that are being held throughout Ireland during Men’s Health Week (MHW).  It is hoped that this will help everyone to find out what is happening during the week, where it will be taking place, and how - if possible - to join in.  It also gives some recognition and publicity to all those groups across the island that are doing something for and with men.

These activities might include health checks, conferences, launches, games, seminars, competitions, workshops, courses, displays, health fairs, workplace mail-outs ...  Whatever the activity, everyone is encouraged to submit their details. 

There were two ways to let us know about what is happening during 2026:

  1. Submit the details using the online form [please note that, as MHW 2026 is now over, this form has been disabled until 2027]  or
  2. Download and save a copy of the MS Word Registration Form, type in the details, and email it back to us.

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Webinar to Launch Men's Health Week 2026

A webinar was held to launch Men’s Health Week 2026 on the island of Ireland on Monday 15th June 2026.  Guests at this event heard from a range of speakers, who shared their insights and experience on the key theme for the week: 'One Step at a Time - Progress not Perfection'.  The speakers were:

-  Daragh Fleming - Poet and Mental Health Advocate 
-  Bobby Kerr - Broadcaster and Entrepreneur 
-  Dave Smith - Founder of the 'Be OK Garage’ 
-  Lewis Byrne - Social Prescriber and Screening Champion 
-  Bláthín Casey - HSE Project Manager 

To support accessibility, an Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpreter was present for the whole of the webinar.

You can watch a recording of this event below ...

 

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Men's Health Week 2026 Ambassadors
Men's Health Week 2026 in Ireland was honoured to have the support of four amazing, high profile, local men ...

  • Keith Donald - internationally acclaimed musician / ‘Moving Hearts’ saxophonist / author / ex-alcoholic / man living with cancer  [www.keithdonald.com]
  • Bobby Kerr - entrepreneur / ‘dragon’ on the Irish version of Dragons' Den / NewsTalk presenter / man living with cancer  [https://bobbykerr.com]
  • Daragh Fleming - mental health advocate, author, poet and social media influencer  [https://thoughtstoobig.ie]
  • Dave Smith - founder of the innovative 'Be OK Garage’ promoting mental health among Irish ‘petrol heads’  [www.beokgarage.com]

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The Men's Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI) is registered in the Republic of Ireland as a Company Limited by Guarantee (491368) and is accepted as a charity by the Revenue under Reference Number: CHY19591.

MHFI's registered company address is: Carmichael House, 4-7 North Brunswick Street, Dublin D07 RHA8, Ireland.

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MHFI is grateful to the Health Service Executive and the Public Health Agency for the financial support they have given to specific projects.