As the clocks spring forward this weekend the Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging people to use the brighter nights to increase their levels of physical activity and improve their health. Colette Brolly, the PHA’s lead on physical activity, said: “Over the winter months when it is dark in the evenings, it can be easy to get into a routine of staying inside and being less active, but the bright nights are a brilliant opportunity to get out and get active. “There are many different ways to be active and many of them are ideal for anyone who has not been physically active for a while, such

With society reopening and opportunities for people to meet up and socialise being restored, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging people to avail of sexual health testing if they are sexually active or intending to become sexually active soon. Dr Gillian Armstrong, Interim Head of Health Protection at the PHA, said: “During the height of the pandemic many Genitourinary Medicine (GUM) clinics were initially closed to visitors and access to Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) screening became limited for some. The reduction of STI testing and diagnosis noted in 2020 may mean an increase in

This Swallow Awareness Day [Wednesday 16 March] the Public Health Agency (PHA) is raising awareness of swallowing difficulties by launching a new digital poster which will be promoted regionally through community and voluntary sector organisations. The digital poster, which has been developed in partnership with Mid and East Antrim Agewell Partnership (MEAAP), is designed to highlight the signs and symptoms of swallowing difficulties in the hope of detecting the condition early and signposting to services that can help. Dysphagia is the medical term for swallowing difficulties, which can

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 by making a plan of setting a limit and sticking to it. 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. “By setting a plan, you can avoid binge drinking which has been shown to have adverse effects on our health and safety. “It’s

Getting immunisations as a teenager is every bit as important as the vaccinations that you receive as a baby or toddler, so the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding teenagers to make sure they complete the childhood immunisation programme by receiving their teenage immunisations. Teenage immunisation is offered to all children aged 14-18 and is made up of two vaccines – Td/IPV and MenACWY. Teenagers will receive these vaccines via the school nursing team. The Td/IPV vaccine used helps protect against three serious diseases: tetanus, diphtheria, and polio. There is a tendency to think of

Funders, regulators and research organisations who play an important role in UK health and social care research have come together, working with members of the public, to sign up to a bold new shared commitment to improve public involvement in research. HSC R&D Division in Public Health Agency, the Health Research Authority, the National Institute for Health Research and a host of organisations across the UK are committed to bring about changes which will drive up standards in health and social care research. The statement, signed by leaders at each organisation, reads: ‘Public involvement is

More than 4,600 people, including nearly 100 children, are currently waiting for a kidney transplant across the UK, and in Northern Ireland that figure is around 78 people waiting for that lifesaving call. So the Public Health Agency is calling on everyone to share their organ donation decision and also take a moment to consider living kidney donation this World Kidney Day (Thursday 10 March 2022). Living donor transplantation opens up opportunities for patients wating for a kidney transplant by minimising the time people need to rely on dialysis and by offering patients who wait the longest i