The appointment of Australia’s first Special Envoy for Men’s Health, federal Labor MP Dan Repacholi, has sent a strong signal to the community and the healthcare sector that it’s time to break down the taboos surrounding men seeking help for sensitive health issues.

Dan has said he is ‘committed to shining a national spotlight on the unique health challenges facing Australian men and boys, from mental health and suicide prevention to chronic illness and access to healthcare services’. 

It won’t be an easy task overcoming toxic masculinity, stigma, medical myths and a culture that still encourages men to tough things out alone. 

However, the former coalminer, mining and agricultural machinery salesperson and competitive pistol shooter (five Olympic Games and four Commonwealth Games) appears a solid choice to connect with and advocate for Australia’s 12 million-plus boys and men.

He has the National Men’s Health Strategy 2020–2030 to guide him in his efforts to help men and boys open up about their mental and physical health needs.

The strategy sets out a clear vision: support every man and boy in Australia to live a ‘long, fulfilling and healthy life’ through improved health system responsiveness and a strengthened evidence base for male-centric care. 

Key targets include reducing inequities and improving access to quality care, particularly in preventive health. Improving access to healthcare in rural and regional areas will be a priority for Dan, who represents the rural Hunter electorate in New South Wales. 

The APA has written to the Special Envoy requesting a meeting to discuss the critical role of physiotherapy in preventing and managing chronic conditions—especially musculoskeletal, mental health and pelvic health issues. 

These are areas where men often present late or inadequately. 

Musculoskeletal conditions alone represent Australia’s highest healthcare burden; early physiotherapy intervention leads to better outcomes, lower costs and improved quality of life. 

Chronic disease management under Medicare currently subsidises up to five allied health services annually via GP referral but this is often insufficient to meet men’s needs. 

Trusted relationships with physiotherapists are an essential component of the men’s health toolkit. 

For example, pelvic health interventions delivered by physiotherapists can make a life-changing difference for men in terms of bladder and bowel control, sexual function and pain management but these services are rarely accessible without means-tested or out‑of‑pocket costs. 

This financial barrier compounds late-help‑seeking habits among men, exacerbating health inequities. 

The APA is working on its advocacy strategy to ensure that men are aware that they can lean on their physio to help them feel better, both physically and mentally, and that policymakers understand the importance of exercise and pain management in mental wellbeing. 

To align with the National Men’s Health Strategy pillars—health-determinant equity, preventive care and system responsiveness—our advocacy strategy will focus on key objectives: 

• expanding subsidised physiotherapy access beyond current chronic disease management
• funding physiotherapy-led preventive care, especially for at-risk men eg, post-injury, rural, ageing)
• embedding physiotherapy in primary care through funded models such as first contact physiotherapy
• targeting services for men’s pelvic and mental health, ensuring gender-sensitive models
• funding men’s pelvic health physiotherapy, often accessed only via private clinics. Subsidised sessions would support conditions underdiagnosed in men—urinary issues, chronic pelvic pain and erectile dysfunction
• integrating physiotherapy into men’s mental health initiatives; exercise and movement therapies aid wellbeing
• expanding National Men’s Health Strategy recommendations for multidisciplinary care to explicitly include physiotherapists in mental health programs. 

Like the Special Envoy, the APA will begin this critical work by meeting with and listening to our members and a range of key stakeholders to understand where the policy and alliance opportunities are. 

We will seek to engage GPs, Primary Health Networks and men’s groups to collaborate on effective models and pathways. 

We will be starting conversations about men’s health over the coming months so look out for your chance to contribute in our members’ e-newsletter and on social media. 

Alongside those conversations, we will make sure that the central message is heard—preventive physiotherapy saves a lot of pain and cost down the track. 

Men don’t need to go it alone. The sooner they see a trusted physio, the better they will feel.