Sir, - John Waters continues to do a service to society and to men in particular by once again raising the astounding official neglect of issues affecting men's health. He informs us that in the case of virtually every serious condition affecting both men and women, men die younger and more frequently than women, yet this does not merit discussion much less any preventive measures. The question surfaces once in a while and is soon forgotten.
Is this because newspapers and the electronic media fail to take up these issues? It surely cannot be for lack of interest. Men are literally dying for want of knowledge and information about preventive measures. According to Mr Waters there is evasion in official agencies and attempts to conceal the true facts.
Suicide is probably the starkest issue. Why is there no properly funded public campaign by the Minister for Health to try to stem the appalling suicide rate among young men, nine times the rate among women? When are we going to see a system of screening for prostate cancer, which kills 500 men annually? What about real equality in the case of custody of children?
I have heard only one TD, Brian Hayes, raise matters of this kind in a specific manner and that was more than a year ago with nothing since. Why the silence among politicians? It is long past time that men paid serious attention to their health and started putting these issues high on the political agenda. - Yours, etc.,
K. Humphries, Rockfield, Maynooth, Co Kildare.