Health Protection
The Health Protection Service plays an important role in keeping people in Northern Ireland safe from infectious diseases and environmental hazards. We do this through:
- monitoring and tracking disease and public health threats,
- infection prevention and control
- providing advice and support to health professionals,
- delivering education, training and research to strengthen health protection.
How to identify and report a notifiable disease
If you suspect a notifiable disease, please report it promptly:
Contacting the Health Protection duty room:
- Location: Public Health Agency, Linenhall Street, Belfast.
- Who should contact us: Health professionals and agencies dealing with health protection incidents or queries during working hours. Our consultant-led teams are your first point of contact during the working day. They respond to health protection incidents and lead on public health priorities, with surge support from staff across the Public Health Agency during major incidents.
Urgent health protection concerns? Contact the Health Protection Service directly.
What we cover:
Our service covers a wide range of health protection issues, including:
- Antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections
- Emergency preparedness and response
- Respiratory infection control
- Infectious disease management
- Surveillance and outbreak detection
- Immunisation and vaccine advice
- Travel health advice
Who delivers the service:
The Health Protection Service is provided by a multi-disciplinary team, including:
- doctors and nurses,
- scientists and disease surveillance specialists,
- emergency planners,
- administrative and support staff.
Together, we work to detect, manage, and prevent health risks to the public.