Many of us consume more salt than is recommended for good health and it’s not just an issue for adults. This year as part of Salt Awareness Week (12-18 March), the Public Health Agency (PHA) is drawing attention to the salt that is added to common foods by manufacturers and asking people to think about the amount of salt in the whole family’s diet.

As people get ready to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging anyone choosing to drink to keep an eye on their alcohol intake, and be aware of the dangers of binge drinking and the effects excess alcohol can have on our health and safety. The PHA’s Drugs and Alcohol lead Michael Owen said: “A lot of people will be making plans to meet up with their friends and family to celebrate St Patrick’s Day and we are encouraging them to keep an eye on their alcohol intake should they choose to drink.

To mark Sign Language Week (12 – 18 March 2018) the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) are highlighting what matters to deaf service users in their experiences of health and social care. 10,000 More Voices is a PHA initiative which gives people an opportunity to provide feedback on their experiences of accessing Health and Social Care services by asking them to ‘tell us their story’. The information received helps to highlight areas that require additional focus for improvement.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) has urged parents of girls who are eligible to receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to make sure that they get it to reduce the risk of developing cervical cancer later in life. The call comes as figures show a reduction in the levels of uptake of the vaccine here. The HPV vaccine helps protect girls from developing cervical cancer when they are adults. It is offered to girls in year 9 and 10 through a school-based programme and provides the best protection against the disease.

To mark World Delirium Day [14 March] the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) are urging people who have had experience of delirium during the past year to share their thoughts with the 10,000 More Voices programme.

This No Smoking Day, Wednesday 14 March, thousands of smokers across Northern Ireland are being urged to stub out their cigarettes and become ‘Proud Quitters’. The Public Health Agency (PHA) has teamed up with voluntary sector organisations, pharmacy, community and HSC Trust stop smoking service providers, and the local No Smoking Day Coordinating Committee to urge smokers to quit on 14 March by seeking the help of their local stop smoking service.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is set to hold a number of stakeholder engagement events in the coming weeks throughout Northern Ireland. These will inform the future procurement of services to implement the pending ‘Protect Life 2’ suicide prevention strategy. Séamus Mullen, Regional Lead for Mental and Emotional Wellbeing at the PHA, said: “It is really important that people have their say and we would encourage as many as possible to register and come along to the planned workshops in their area.