The current very cold weather conditions increase the risk of illness and accidents. So the following advice has been issued to the community by the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the Health and Social Care Board.The PHA emphasises the importance of keeping warm in order to stay healthy.

Hepatitis C can damage the liver and can lead to years of ill health. The Public Health Agency (PHA) is warning that if you think you have been at risk, you should get tested.

Meningitis can occur at any time of the year, but it is most prevalent between December and February, therefore the Public Health Agency (PHA) wants to raise awareness in the community and across all age ranges of the signs and symptoms of this potentially life-threatening disease.

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;

Today (15 Dec) the Public Health Agency (PHA) launched three of its ‘Good Practice Guides’, a series of publications developed jointly with local councils as part of a partnership approach to improving health and wellbeing. The guides will be a resource for all those working to improve health and tackle inequalities in Northern Ireland.

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.”