Further investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men's health research funding is urgently required

The burden of disease for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is 2.3 times that of non-Indigenous Australians, and of that, approximately 70% of the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians is accounted for by chronic disease.1 For virtually every health marker, including key social and cultural determinants of health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men fair worst of any population subgroup; they have the highest morbidity rates,2 the highest mortality rates and a current life expectancy 8.6 years less than their non-Indigenous counterparts.3 They are also more likely to be diagnosed with depression or mental illness and be hospitalised for self-harm.2 The Australian government has acknowledged that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men are a priority population in the first National Male Health Policy published in 20104 and the more recent National Men’s Health Strategy 2020–2030.5