Now that the summer festival season is in full swing, and people from across Northern Ireland are heading out to enjoy themselves, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding revellers that taking drugs is always a risk. The PHA is also specifically warning about of the risk of taking Para –Methyl-4-Methylaminorex (4,4’-DMAR), which has been linked to a number of recent deaths in Northern Ireland.

Thousands of young people across Northern Ireland will receive exam results in the coming days and ahead of this the Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging parents to have a chat about alcohol and drugs with their children. Lots of young people will go out socialising with their school friends after they receive results and it is important they are aware of the dangers associated with the use of alcohol and drugs.

Transplant athletes from Northern Ireland are set to compete for gold at the Westfield Health British Transplant Games, taking place in Bolton, England from Thursday 7 August – Sunday 10 August, and the Public Health Agency (PHA) has extended its best wishes to the Belfast team.

World Breastfeeding Week runs from 1-7 August and the Public Health Agency (PHA) is highlighting how new mums can really benefit from the support of other mothers who have breastfed. The theme of this year’s world breastfeeding week is ‘Breastfeeding: A winning goal – for life’ and aims to highlight the importance of increasing and sustaining the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding.

WHO has declared that the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa fits the criteria under International Health Regulations (IHR) of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This declaration will trigger a WHO internationally coordinated response to countries with cases in order to assist them to take measures to contain and control the outbreak. Cases have been identified in four countries in West Africa - Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria. To date there have been no reported cases in the UK.

To mark World Hepatitis Day today, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding people who think they may be at risk from hepatitis B or C infection to get tested.Viral hepatitis kills 1.5 million people worldwide each year. That’s as many people as HIV/ AIDS. Although hepatitis is not common in Northern Ireland, it is very common in other parts of the world, with an estimated 400 million people living with chronic hepatitis B and C worldwide.Both viruses are spread by contact with blood or bodily fluids of an infected person.