The Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging people to use Mental Health Awareness Week (16-22 May) to take time out to think about our own mental health and what we can do to improve it.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) has announced that pregnant women can now avail of the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccination from week 16 of their pregnancy. The change comes following advice from the UK Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), based on a study which showed that protection for the baby from vaccination is likely to be better if the mum is immunised earlier in pregnancy. The vaccine was previously aimed at women in weeks 28 to 32 of pregnancy.

This statistical profile of children’s health has been produced using data from the Northern Ireland Maternity and the Northern Ireland Child Health Systems. It provides some comparative data across the UK and Ireland and breaks down key indicators such as birth weight, gestation, maternal BMI, maternal smoking, delivery methods, breastfeeding status, P1 and P8 children’s weight by Trust, Local Government District, maternal age, deprivation quintiles, ethnicity and hospital where appropriate as well as outlining why these aspects are so important in children’s health.

During Dying Matters Awareness Week (9-15 May 2015) the Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging everyone to take the opportunity to talk openly with those closest to them about their wishes about their future care, dying, death and bereavement. This year’s theme is 'The Big Conversation', and we will be encouraging the public to talk to each other about dying, death and bereavement, because "Talking about dying won't make it happen!"

National air quality forecasts are predicting that Northern Ireland may be impacted by moderate air pollution over the coming weekend with possible pockets of high air pollution locally on Sunday 8 May. The pollution is a combination of continental and local pollution and a mix of ozone and other particle pollution.

During Sun Awareness Week (9 to 15 May 2016) the Public Health Agency (PHA) and Cancer Focus Northern Ireland are reminding people that the only thing that should be sizzling this summer is the food on their barbecue as they urge people to take care in the sun. The unpredictability of our summers can lead to many people thinking they will not get sunburn in such a changeable climate. However, the majority of the population have fair skin, which provides little protection against the sun, so even a small amount of exposure can do damage.

Each year, millions of infections are prevented through ensuring good hand hygiene. So today, on the World Health Organization’s global Hand Hygiene Day, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding everyone of the need to ‘clean your hands’ thoroughly and regularly.