Canada’s Men and Boys’ Health Strategy
The Government of Canada is engaging provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous partners and key stakeholders to develop a Men and Boys’ Health Strategy. The goal is to create supportive and safe environments, challenge harmful stereotypes, reduce stigma and encourage men of all ages to seek help when they need it.
Improving the health of men and boys is a shared effort. The factors that lead to poorer health outcomes for men and boys are complex and interrelated, and don’t begin in adulthood.
National conversation
In February 2026, we launched a national conversation on men and boys’ health to hear about the challenges that men and boys face, what contributes to those challenges, and solutions to address them.
The conversation included:
- public engagement through an online questionnaire (closed on June 1, 2026)
- written submissions from stakeholders and experts (closed on June 1, 2026)
- Ministerial roundtables
- stakeholder-led regional roundtables
- Parliamentarian-led engagement with constituents
- discussions with federal-provincial-territorial officials and international partners
Many people across Canada participated in the conversation by answering the following questions:
- How can we support boys and men in understanding and dealing with traditional ideas about masculinity in healthy ways, including:
- overcoming stigma?
- feeling comfortable asking for help?
- How do we help men build healthy relationships and adopt healthy habits that improve their overall well-being?
- What role do male role models, mentors and community leaders play in shaping healthier norms?
- How can we amplify positive examples of masculinity?
- How do we help men seek out the care they need:
- to support their mental health and well-being?
- for any challenges with substance use or addiction?
- How do different life stages shape men’s well-being? For example, adolescence, early adulthood, fatherhood, midlife and retirement.
- Where are the biggest transition points where support is most needed?
Thank you to those who took the time to share their views on this issue.
Canada’s first Men and Boys’ Health Strategy will be published in fall 2026. It will set out the key themes from what we heard and outline what is needed to:
- create supportive and safe environments,
- challenge harmful stereotypes,
- reduce stigma, and
- encourage men of all ages to seek help when they need it.
International strategies for men’s health
To inform our work, we are also looking at international approaches to men’s health:
- Australia: National Men’s Health Strategy 2020 – 2030
- Ireland: National Men’s Health Action Plan 2024-2028
- United Kingdom: National Men’s Health Strategy 2025 – 2030
- WHO Europe: Strategy on the Health and Well-being of Men
We are also looking at previous provincial and territorial work, such as Quebec’s former men’s health strategy, and work by men’s health stakeholders, like Movember.
Learn more:
The Real Face of Men’s Health: 2025 Canadian Report
Plan d’action ministériel : Santé et bien-être des hommes (2017 – 2022) (French only)
