8th Men’s Health World Congress

Summary Report on Eighth Men’s Health World Congress 2011, Vienna

The recent Men’s Health World Congress was the ISMH’s eighth global gathering, marking ten inspired years of interdisciplinary and multi-sector exchange. Our theme, “Men and Ageing: A Lifelong Process,” invited us all to consider health at every stage. We enthusiastically explored integrated approaches to ensure and manage health outcomes for men across the age spectrum, through various social and systemic realities, and in light of emerging data about men’s needs and challenges.
We are pleased that the focus on practice and application was its strongest ever, with many special segments and innovative sessions devoted to the real complexities of patient care. For instance, the first Men’s Health School drew medical residents for intensive day-long training on the epidemiology, context, and management of hypogonadism. This year’s World Congress was also a watershed occasion for policy. MHWC 2011 hosted a detailed presentation of findings from the European Union-commissioned report, The State of Men’s Health in Europe. The high-profile study has inspired calls for men’s health reports in other nations and global regions. The European report has also stoked demands for attention to the social determinants of men’s health and the health disparities that preclude “one-size-fits-all” approaches.
We predict that this eighth convening and tenth anniversary of the Men’s Health World Congress will be remembered for its significant developments in men’s health policy and practice. As ever, it was also the setting for global interdisciplinary exchange on the very best in current research. All in all, we declare MHWC 2011 a great success. The Congress statistics underscore the point:

• 607 attendees from 72 countries

• 45 presentations in symposia, plenary sessions and parallel sessions

• 120 speakers

• 145 peer-reviewed research abstracts, 12 podium presentations, 33 moderated poster presentations

• 23 endorsements by professional organizations

• 8 exhibitors from the health industry

• 11 different disciplines: urology, cardiology, endocrinology, psychiatry, oncology, family-health, public health, sociology and sexual medicine

The vision of the International Society of Men’s Health (ISMH, www.ismh.org) remains the advancement of men’s health among clinicians, academicians, researchers, policy analysts, policymakers, and the general public. We appreciate and look forward to your continued collaboration.

Kindest regards,

April M.W.Young

on behalf of MHWC 2011 Presidents G. Jackson, MD; C. Carson, MD; and A. Young, PhD