APHA Men’s Health Caucus sets 2027–2028 agenda for men’s health

The American Public Health Association Men’s Health Caucus has released a 2027–2028 policy agenda focused on improving care, research, and coordination for men and boys in the United States. Men’s Health Network is backing the framework as advocates push for stronger public health responses to persistent health disparities.

Why it matters: - The APHA Men’s Health Caucus policy agenda gives public health leaders a roadmap for improving health outcomes for men and boys in the United States. - The framework focuses on access, workforce readiness, research, and federal coordination, all of which can affect how care is delivered and how gaps are addressed. - Men’s Health Network says the agenda supports broader efforts to reduce health disparities and improve preventive care.

What happened: - The American Public Health Association Men’s Health Caucus released its 2027–2028 Policy Agenda. - Men’s Health Network welcomed the agenda and highlighted its priorities for policymakers, healthcare professionals, researchers, and advocates. - The agenda lays out four priorities: strengthen government coordination, expand healthcare access, improve healthcare workforce readiness, and advance research and evidence-based solutions.

The details: - The coordination priority calls for establishing coordinating bodies and comprehensive plans to advance targeted policies for men and boys across government. - The access priority calls for better preventive, behavioral, and trauma-informed healthcare services. - The workforce priority calls for training and resources that help healthcare professionals address men’s and boys’ health needs. - The research priority calls for stronger evaluation, quality improvement, and evidence-based public health interventions. - Dr. Salvatore J. Giorgianni, senior science advisor at Men’s Health Network and former chair of the Caucus, said the Men’s Health Caucus has spent more than a decade drawing attention to the health challenges facing men and boys within public health. - Men’s Health Network has been active in the APHA Men’s Health Caucus since its inception. - Giorgianni served as the Caucus’s first chair from 2012 to 2014 after serving as vice-chair and co-founder from 2010 to 2012. - Giorgianni has held the title of chair-emeritus since 2014. - Men’s Health Network said it did not directly participate in developing the 2027–2028 Policy Agenda. - Ronald Henry, president of Men’s Health Network, said the organization appreciates the contributions of Caucus leadership, the Policy Committee, participating organizations, and Jon Gilgoff.

Between the lines: - The agenda reflects a broader effort to move men’s health from a niche issue to a more formal part of public health planning. - The emphasis on coordination suggests current efforts may be fragmented across agencies and programs. - The focus on workforce training and trauma-informed care signals a push to make routine healthcare more responsive to men’s and boys’ needs. - Men’s Health Network’s response shows support for the agenda even without direct involvement in drafting it.

What’s next: - Men’s Health Network is urging public health professionals, researchers, policymakers, and organizations to review the agenda and apply its recommendations in their own work. - The organization will continue its policy and advocacy work on preventive care, screenings, and disparities at the national and state levels. - Men’s Health Network says it will keep supporting education, research, outreach, and public policy efforts focused on men’s health. - In 2026, Men’s Health Network endorsed the bipartisan State of Men’s Health Act, which would create an Office of Men’s Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, strengthen federal coordination, and advance research into men’s and boys’ health. - The organization has also backed state legislation expanding access to prostate cancer screenings and continued support for National Men’s Health Week and Men’s Health Month.

The bottom line: - The new APHA Men’s Health Caucus agenda gives advocates and policymakers a clearer policy framework for tackling long-standing men’s and boys’ health gaps.