Today the Public Health Agency (PHA) is launching a new service to identify people at risk from a symptomless genetic disorder that increases a person’s chance of early heart disease and premature death. About one in 500 people has Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH), an inherited condition that means their cholesterol levels are higher than normal from birth. The service has been developed and funded through a partnership between Health and Social Care and Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke (NICHS).

The Public Health Agency (PHA) and Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) held a comprehensive exercise today to enable a review of Ebola preparedness in Northern Ireland.

A new video that shows women what to expect when they attend for breast screening has been produced by the Public Health Agency (PHA). It covers the whole process of screening – from receiving the invitation letter to getting the results. The video is aimed at women who have never attended for breast screening or who have been invited for the first time.

On 26-27 February 2015, HSC R&D Division, in conjunction with NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Co-ordinating Centre (NETSCC), will run two Northern Ireland regional workshops for researchers interested in applying to NETSCC-managed research programmes. As Chief Investigators, Northern Ireland researchers can compete with colleagues from across the UK for prestigious NIHR funding. The aim of these workshops is to provide researchers with an insight into leading, building and delivering successful applications.

Today on World Mental Health Day, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging people to adopt five simple steps to improve their mental wellbeing. Looking after mental health is just as important as taking care of physical health, so the PHA is urging people to look at ways of improving their mental health and wellbeing. The Five Ways to Wellbeing were developed by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) and are:

Smokers are at significantly greater risk of losing their sight than non-smokers, yet awareness of eye damage from smoking is worryingly low according to the Public Health Agency (PHA). Fewer than 10% of smokers realise that smoking can affect their eye health. This compares with 92% associating smoking with lung cancer and 88% identifying a link between smoking and the risk of heart disease.

Smoking materials have been the biggest cause of accidental fire deaths in Northern Ireland, accounting for over 40% of all accidental fire deaths over the past 5 years. Tragically there have been 51 accidental fire deaths over the past 5 years and 21 of these were as a direct result of smoking materials.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is continuing to work with Health and Social Care and government colleagues in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK to ensure we are prepared for the risk of Ebola. Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a rare but severe disease caused by the Ebola virus.

Over a thousand churches across Northern Ireland are set to receive new guidance on suicide prevention, supporting people bereaved by suicide and promoting emotional wellbeing. Copies of ‘Suicide Prevention and Emotional Wellbeing – Pastoral Guidelines and Training Directory for Churches’ are being sent to churches across Northern Ireland by the partnership group Flourish! Flourish! is a partnership between Lighthouse Ireland, clergy from across the Christian churches in Northern Ireland, the Churches Community Work Alliance NI and the Public Health Agency (PHA).