Health Minister Simon Hamilton today launched Northern Ireland’s new mental health anti-stigma and anti-discrimination campaign. The “Change Your Mind”, campaign supported by Comic Relief, the Public Health Agency (PHA) and Niamh (The Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health) is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging all 16 to 18 year olds to get a free vaccination that can help protect against meningococcal disease. Beginning in April, GPs will invite people born between 2 July 1997 and 1 July 1999 to have the MenACWY vaccine. It will protect against four different causes of meningitis and septicaemia – meningococcal A,C,W and Y diseases.

The clocks spring forward this weekend which will give us the chance to get more active in the brighter evenings. There are many ways to kick-start your journey to better health and wellbeing and the Public Health Agency (PHA) says that doing smaller bouts of activity, of 10 minutes or more, will soon add up and can improve your health.

We’re in the middle of lambing season and the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding pregnant women about the risk of close contact with sheep during lambing season.