Factsheet for patients who have tested positive for the hepatitis C virus.

Get wise to your health – Get Healthwise!

With this year almost at an end and 2011 around the corner, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging people with specific health conditions to join the Healthwise scheme – a free 12 week physical activity programme.The scheme is available at registered leisure centres and Healthy Living Centres (HLCs) within the Belfast and South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust areas and is for people with certain health conditions who have been referred by their GP, nurse or other health professionals.The scheme is suitable for those with:• high blood pressure;

This series of Good Practice Guides is designed to share important information about health inequalities and some of the evidence-based measures that can be taken to reduce the stark differences in health and wellbeing within populations.

Issue 6 of Transmit covers a wide range of health protection issues, leading with headline statistics from the HIV and STI surveillance in Northern Ireland 2010 report, released on World AIDS Day, December 1. The report underlines the continued need for vigilance against STIs in Northern Ireland and details the emergence of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) among men who have sex with men (MSM).

PHA warn pregnant women to ‘get the flu vaccine now’

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging all pregnant women, no matter what stage of pregnancy, to get their flu vaccine as soon as possible. The PHA is emphasising this message, particularly as three confirmed cases of H1N1 flu have now been identified in pregnant women, in Northern Ireland. Dr Lorraine Doherty, Assistant Director of Public Health (Health Protection), PHA said: “While there are low circulating levels of flu amongst the general population, these three cases of H1N1 confirmed in pregnant women, tells us that pregnant women could be hard hit again with flu.”