The public information campaigns function within the PHA is responsible for the overall development, management, implementation and monitoring of multi-media campaigns, which cover a wide range of health issues and programmes.

The campaigns are used to raise awareness of important health issues and stimulate groups or individuals to seek information and services.

Through any increase in knowledge, people can over time change attitudes and longer term, particularly when other intervention programmes are used, change their behaviour. 

Health Intelligence

Health Intelligence consists of a core team with skills in the following areas:

The PHA’s design and digital communications team is responsible for the development and maintenance of high quality resources produced in a range of media for use by the PHA and its stakeholders.

The corporate and public affairs section within the PHA covers the work areas of public relations, corporate communications and public affairs.

Effective communication

Good communication is an essential ingredient to the smooth running and performance of any organisation – whether in the public, private, community or voluntary sector. Without it, an organisation cannot be effective in its work and will ultimately underachieve and fall short of its key aims and objectives.

PHA staff provide particular expertise on service evaluation and review, assessment of the health and wellbeing needs of the population, and evidence-based practice. They also have a key role in supporting the development, implementation and evaluation of regional service frameworks.

Population screening programmes have a key role to play in early detection of disease and a range of programmes are currently available in Northern Ireland. The PHA has responsibility for commissioning, coordinating and quality assuring these programmes.

The Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (NICR) is run under agreement between the Public Health Agency and Queen's University of Belfast .

There are 11 PHA commissioning teams:

• Specialist services
• Unscheduled care
• Elective care
• Cancer care
• Palliative care
• Long-term conditions
• Maternity, paediatrics, gynaecology, child health
• Community care, elderly, physical disability
• Children and families
• Mental health, learning disability
• Prison services