Prostate Cancer Needs More Than a Global Initiative:
Ground-Level Action Needed
Each June, Men’s Health Network (MHN) proudly leads national efforts during Men’s Health Month and Men’s Health Week to bring attention to the health challenges men and boys face—challenges that are too often overlooked in public health planning and funding. This year, we’re encouraged by the release of Prostate Cancer: Time for a New Global Initiative from our trusted partner and longtime friend, Global Action on Men’s Health (GAMH).
GAMH’s call for a World Health Organization-led Global Prostate Cancer Initiative is timely, well-reasoned, and long overdue.
Their policy report outlines the rising threat of prostate cancer on a global scale, projecting nearly three million new cases per year by 2040 and an 85% increase in mortality.
These aren’t just statistics:
They’re men, families, and futures at risk.
We applaud GAMH for bringing this issue to the forefront of global men’s health policy. At the same time, as an organization that has been leading prostate cancer awareness and outreach for more than three decades, we believe there’s an urgent need to ensure this global momentum translates into community-level action that reaches the men who need it most.
Please read the full report, here: LINK
GAMH’s Call Is Bold: But the Crisis Isn’t New
MHN first launched Men’s Health Week in 1994, which later became the foundation for International Men’s Health Week, now embraced by GAMH and others around the world. In our 30+ years of work, we’ve seen firsthand how prostate cancer devastates men across all walks of life, particularly Black men, men in rural or underserved communities, and those with a family history of the disease.
GAMH’s report echoes what we’ve been saying for years:
- Prostate cancer is now the most diagnosed cancer in men in 112 countries.
- It’s the leading cause of cancer death in men in 48 nations.
- There is a dangerous lack of national screening programs or early detection pathways.
- Men most at risk often face invisible barriers to care, from stigma and misinformation to financial, logistical, and cultural hurdles.
The urgency is real. The suffering is real. But so is the opportunity to act.
Why Awareness Alone Falls Short
GAMH outlines 10 necessary pillars for global action: national policies, public education, early screening, multidisciplinary treatment access, and investments in research and infrastructure.
We agree with each one. But we’ve also learned that even the best policies fall flat if men aren’t showing up.
Why don’t they?
Because many are not asked, not supported, and not seen in a way that is unique for them.
Prostate cancer awareness must evolve beyond slogans. It must translate into direct outreach, empathy-driven education, and real pathways to care.
Too often, we hear that men “don’t want to talk about health.”
But we reject the narrative that men are disengaged. We believe, and have proven, that when you meet men where they are, and when you acknowledge their lived experiences, they respond.
That’s what makes MHN’s approach different.
Our programs bring information and screening to:
- Barbershops
- Churches
- Union halls
- Sporting events
- VA & Military / Veteran Events
- Workplaces where men are the backbone of operations
We don’t wait for men to come to us. We go to them.
Elevating Health Empathy Over Health Equity
GAMH highlights that health inequities drive the disparity in prostate cancer outcomes.
At MHN, we expand on this idea with a term we champion: the health empathy gap.
Too often, society assumes that men are strong, silent, and fine. But men are:
- Dying six years earlier than women on average
- Less likely to access preventive care
- More likely to die from nearly every leading cause of death
- Underrepresented in cancer research and behavioral health outreach
We need more than just equitable policies, we need empathetic systems that recognize men as individuals, often navigating cultural expectations and systemic barriers to care.
Strengthening the Global Vision with Local Muscle
GAMH’s call for a WHO-led initiative is a critical milestone. But the real work will happen at the ground level.
A screening policy on paper means little if clinics aren’t equipped or trusted. Education campaigns need local voices. Treatment guidelines won’t matter if men don’t know what their options are or can’t afford to take time off work to pursue them.
This is where groups like MHN and our allies play a vital role. We are the boots on the ground. We provide free materials, localized campaigns, and health fair toolkits. We advise policymakers and testify before Congress. We speak directly to men and their families in ways that resonate, not alienate.
We urge the WHO and national health ministries to leverage existing networks rather than trying to reinvent the wheel. A global plan will only succeed if it’s co-developed with those already doing the work.
The publication of Prostate Cancer: Time for a New Global Initiative. A Policy Report marks the start of GAMH’s advocacy campaign to tackle this major issue in men’s and public health.
Building on Success: What Comes Next
To strengthen the vision laid out by GAMH, Men’s Health Network recommends:
- Formalizing Community Partnerships
Ensure national and global strategies incorporate the trusted networks already serving men. - Developing a Men’s Health Outreach Fund
Governments and global bodies should dedicate funding streams specifically to community engagement, not just research or institutional capacity. - Framing Prostate Cancer as a Family Issue
Women, children, and caregivers are vital messengers. Campaigns should emphasize how prostate cancer impacts everyone, not just the patient. - Creating Messaging That Moves Men
Use real stories, relatable voices, and emotionally intelligent framing. Don’t lecture… Connect. - Tracking Empathy Metrics
Beyond clinical benchmarks, we must measure how men feel about their health, the care they receive, and their perceived value in public health messaging.
A Final Word, and a Call to Action
To our partners at GAMH: thank you for continuing to elevate men’s health on the global stage. We’re proud to stand with you, now and always.
But to policymakers, healthcare leaders, and the general public: please don’t wait for another report or another year. The time to act is now.
Prostate cancer doesn’t wait. Neither can we.
This Men’s Health Month, let’s move from data to dialogue, and from dialogue to action.
This year’s Men’s Health Month theme, “Bring Empathy Back: Men Fight Battles We Can’t Always See,” directly echoes the need to close the empathy gap that too often surrounds men’s health. And while prostate cancer is a powerful example of this gap in action, where silence, stigma exist, there are still societal expectations that prevent many men from seeking help until it’s too late.
By focusing on empathy, we shift the conversation from blame to understanding, recognizing that men’s delayed care is often the result of systemic neglect, not personal failure. This theme challenges us all to see men not just as patients, but as people whose health and individual lives depend on being seen, heard, and supported.
Join us at Men’s Health Network:
- 🌐 Visit www.menshealthnetwork.org
- 📬 Subscribe to our newsletter, The Healthy e-Male www.menshealthnetwork.org/contact
- 🙋♂️ Become a Men’s Health Ambassador and be a voice in your community
- 💙 Donate to support our outreach, materials, and screening efforts: Donate Here
Because when we fight for men’s health, we fight for stronger families, safer communities, and a healthier world.
Men’s Health Network
Reaching men where they live, work, play, and pray.
