Men’s Health & Wellbeing in the Caribbean: Tackling Taboos, Improving Services, and Reducing Stigma

The International Day of Care and Support (October 29) recognizes that building just, inclusive, and resilient societies requires valuing care in all its forms, self-care, community care, and caregiving for others. Within this vision, it is essential to include men and boys not as beneficiaries, but as active participants in reshaping the culture of care and wellbeing.

Men in the Caribbean experience higher mortality and morbidity throughout their lives, driven by external causes such as violence and injuries, as well as cancers and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Limited engagement of men with health promotion and primary care, along with the absence of comprehensive health programs contributes to this burden.

Limited engagement with health systems reflects not only service gaps, but also gender norms and social expectations that discourage men from seeking care, acknowledging vulnerability, or prioritizing their health. 

In keeping with the spirit of the International Day of Care and Support, the Caribbean Male Action Network (CariMAN) will host a webinar to reflect on evidence, lived experiences, and emerging practices that shape men’s health and wellbeing in the Caribbean. 

This webinar aims to: 

• Provide an overview of the current state of men’s physical and mental health in the Caribbean, highlighting trends, disparities, and the intersections between gender, care, and wellbeing.
• Explore cultural and systemic drivers of stigma and barriers to care. 
• Identify practical, context-appropriate policies and practices that advance equitable, gender-transformative approaches to health and care 
• Promote cross-sector collaboration to create supportive environments that advance men’s health as part of collective wellbeing and gender equality. 

CariMAN invites all interested to save the date and join the webinar through the link below on October 29 2025.

Read more about the webinar’s background and the proposed agenda for the day in the concept note below.