The Origin and Significance of Men's Health Promotion – A Continued Summary of the 2004 Men's Health Experts Symposium
The reason why the National Population and Family Planning Commission is responsible for promoting men's health is due to its inherent meaning. It's not simply a medical issue; it encompasses three aspects: physical health, mental health, and social adaptability in men. The population and family planning departments have a responsibility to effectively promote men's health.
Comrade Peng Peiyun has always been concerned about men's health, and recently issued an instruction requiring us to explore and gain experience in how to involve men in family planning activities within the framework of men's health initiatives. We must carry out these activities effectively, encompassing all aspects of men's health.
II. The Origin and Significance of Men's Health Promotion
October 28, 2000, marked the first Men's Health Day. The establishment of this day was a direct result of the deepening of family planning policies. Starting in the early 1990s, China's total fertility rate fell below the replacement level, meaning each couple had fewer than 2.1 children. Maintaining this level would allow the population to decline slowly, but the internal growth rate had become negative, ultimately resulting in fewer births than deaths, and a true negative population growth. The 1990s saw a new era in China's family planning work. This new era was marked by the fertility rate falling below the replacement level, entering a low-fertility phase. This was a crucial prerequisite, requiring a new approach to family planning work, necessitating further expansion and deepening to adapt to the new situation.
From an international perspective, the 1984 Mexican Population Conference primarily focused on controlling population growth, reaching a consensus on this issue and issuing the "Mexico Declaration." Ten years later, the situation changed significantly. The 1994 Cairo Conference on Population and Development resulted in the "Cairo Population Declaration." This time, controlling population growth was no longer the primary concern; instead, meeting people's reproductive health needs became the main focus, leading to a consensus among nations. Following the 1994 Cairo Conference on Population and Development, the 1995 World Conference on Women was held in Beijing. Both conferences placed reproductive health in a prominent position, proposing that the criteria for judging health should consider physical, psychological, and social aspects. They outlined four key aspects of reproductive health: first, regulating fertility levels, providing the public with necessary contraceptive services, and promoting informed choice; second, protecting maternal safety, ensuring maternal safety before and after the perinatal period, reducing childbirth mortality, and minimizing disease incidence; third, ensuring healthy child development and reducing child mortality, especially female infant mortality; and fourth, preventing sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. The meaning of reproductive health is very clear. How should my country's family planning work be carried out? At that time, State Councilor Peng Peiyun made a solemn commitment at the Cairo Conference on Human Development: China will make reproductive health a major part of family planning.
In accordance with the spirit of the two major national conferences, the National Population and Family Planning Commission proposed in 1997 to launch a nationwide campaign to promote new trends in marriage and childbearing. An important aspect of this campaign was advocating for husbands' responsibility in family planning, male participation in family planning, gender equality, and improving the status of women. To further promote this campaign nationwide, it was necessary to find a suitable platform and entry point to implement it effectively. At that time, the leaders of the Publicity and Education Department proposed carrying out a campaign to promote men's health education, which was quickly approved by the Party Committee of the Commission. We launched the first Men's Health Day campaign on October 28, 2000.