James Evans MS has urged the Welsh Government to give men’s health “the priority it desperately needs” after questioning the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care about late cancer diagnosis, poor outcomes and a lack of clarity in the Welsh Government’s health budget for male-specific conditions.

During the Health and Social Care Committee session last Thursday (27 November), Mr Evans raised concerns that men continue to face significantly worse outcomes across several major conditions, including cardiovascular disease, suicide, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

Last Friday, the UK National Screening Committee confirmed that a national prostate cancer screening programme should not be introduced for men, warning it would ‘cause more harm than good’ for the general population.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with around 2,600 diagnoses and 600 deaths every year in Wales. Men are also more likely to be diagnosed at a late stage due to vague symptoms, low PSA testing uptake and stigma around seeking help. Mr Evans has previously thanked the charity Prostrate Cymru, for holding a testing service in Brecon earlier this year, stepping in to support early cancer diagnosis in rural areas, identifying early prostate cancer cases that might otherwise have gone undetected.

Mr Evans has previously highlighted mental health disparities, noting that men account for nearly 80% of all suicides in Wales and are three times more likely to die by suicide than women. This is of particular concern in rural communities and amongst farmers, where the isolation and loneliness is a major issue. That coupled with the high levels of uncertainty and financial fragility in farming at the moment, it is charities like DPJ Foundation and RABI stepping in.

Mr Evans, who is Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, said: “Men make up half the population but experience some of the worst outcomes in cardiovascular disease, suicide and cancer. Too many men are being diagnosed late with prostate and testicular cancer, and too many families in Wales are losing loved ones to conditions that could have been caught earlier.

“We urgently need Welsh Government to focus on men’s health, physical and mental. We need to know what support Welsh Government intend to put in place, how they will improve early diagnosis rates, what funding is being allocated, and what targeted action the Welsh Government is taking. Men’s health must become a priority, not an afterthought.

“These charities are doing vital work, but they shouldn’t be left to plug gaps in the system. When volunteers are picking up the slack for government, it shows how much more needs to be done to support men’s health, especially in rural areas like Powys.”