During the Easter break, with parents thinking of activities to keep children entertained, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding families about the importance of washing hands after visiting the farm. All animals naturally carry a range of organisms, some of which can be transmitted to people. Some organisms which may be contracted on farms can cause illness some of which can cause severe infection, particularly in young children.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is using the opportunity of World Health Day to encourage people to talk about depression. World Health Day is celebrated on 7 April every year to mark the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization. The theme for 2017 is depression. “The word ‘depression’ is used in many different ways,” said Fiona Teague, Health and Wellbeing Improvement Manager with the PHA.

Project funding of €8.8 million has been awarded through the EU’s INTERREG VA Programme to the Health and Social Care Research and Development (HSC R&D) Division of the Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland and the Health Research Board (HRB) in Ireland.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is using Bowel Cancer Awareness Month (1-30 April) to encourage everyone who is eligible to make use of the bowel cancer screening programme, and to be aware of the early signs and symptoms of the disease. Dr Tracy Owen, Consultant in Public Health Medicine at the PHA, said: “Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in Northern Ireland with about 1,200 people diagnosed with the disease each year. However, the good news is that the earlier bowel cancer is detected, the more successful the treatment is likely to be.

Lambing season is well under way and the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding pregnant women about the risk of close contact with sheep during lambing season. The PHA is advising women who are, or think they may be pregnant, to reduce their risk of miscarriage and infection by avoiding close contact with sheep during lambing season, which runs until around the end of April.