| HSC Public Health Agency

Putting a health inequalities focus on the Northern Ireland cardiovascular service framework

The PHA, supported by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) and other agencies and individuals, has completed a health impact assessment (HIA) on the Cardiovascular Service Framework (CVSFW) for Northern Ireland.

The CVSFW is the first in a series of service frameworks developed in Northern Ireland to guide HSC provision from prevention and health improvement over early intervention in communities and general practice into hospital and other institutional settings towards rehabilitation, palliative care and end of life.

‘More smokers turn their back on tobacco’

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Figures from the Public Health Agency (PHA) show that across Northern Ireland, a remarkable 33,833 smokers took the first step to a healthier life by availing of ‘stop smoking’ services (April 2010 to the end of March 2011). This is an increase of 44% from the previous year.

What are you waiting for? Sign up this Transplant Awareness Week

Read more about What are you waiting for? Sign up this Transplant Awareness Week

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is supporting this year’s National Transplant Awareness Week, which runs from 4-10 July with the theme ‘What are you waiting for?’ Everyday people complain about waiting for buses or waiting in a queue for lunch, but what if you were waiting for something that your life depended on… like an organ? This Transplant Awareness Week aims to increase the understanding of organ donation and the issues that surround it by focusing on how long people are currently waiting to receive a transplant.

PHA warn travellers on the risk of rabies

Read more about PHA warn travellers on the risk of rabies

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is warning holiday makers and travelling students about the risk of catching rabies from animal bites when travelling abroad.

World Alzheimer's Day

Read more about World Alzheimer's Day

Every year on 21 September Alzheimer associations across the globe unite to recognise World Alzheimer's Day. The theme for World Alzheimer's Day 2011 is 'Faces of dementia'

For further information on World Alzheimer's Day go to www.alz.co.uk/world-alzheimers-day

World Rabies Day

Read more about World Rabies Day

The mission of World Rabies Day is to raise awareness about the impact of human and animal rabies, how easy it is to prevent it, and how to eliminate the main global sources.

For further information visit www.worldrabiesday.org/ and www.publichealth.hscni.net/news/pha-warn-travellers-risk-rabies

World AIDS Day

Read more about World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day is held on 1 December each year for further information go to www.worldaidsday.org

HSCB/PHA Draft Commissioning Plan 2011/2012

The draft Commissioning Plan was approved by the boards of the HSCB and PHA on Thursday 30 June 2011 for onward transmission to the DHSSPS for Ministerial consideration.

Further refinement of the draft plan will take place in July and early August with a view to bringing a final draft plan to the August board meetings of the HSCB and PHA.

PHA update on large outbreak of E. coli in Germany and France –

Read more about PHA update on large outbreak of E. coli in Germany and France –

The Public Health Agency is continuing to monitor outbreaks of E. coli 0104 infection in Germany and France. E. coli 0104 infection causes bloody diarrhoea and, in some patients, causes haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication that affects the kidneys. To date, there have been no cases of E. coli 0104 infection in Northern Ireland.

A new pathway for the regulation and governance of health research

The Academy's review, 'A new pathway for the regulation and governance of health research' was published in January 2011. The report was prepared by a working group, chaired by Professor Sir Michael Rawlins FMedSci, convened in response to an invitation from Government to review the regulation and governance of UK health research involving human participants, their tissue or their data.