Ahead of World AIDS Day (1 December) the Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging everyone to practise safer sex and get tested early if they have put themselves at risk. A new report from the PHA shows that there are 1,073 people in Northern Ireland living with HIV. The ‘HIV surveillance in Northern Ireland 2018’ report also shows that 84 new first-UK cases of HIV were diagnosed here in 2017. HIV/AIDS is a viral infection caused by type 1 and type 2 HIV retroviruses. It can be transmitted through sexual contact, sharing of HIV-contaminated needles and syringes, and transmission from mother

Ahead of World Antibiotics Awareness Week (12-18 November) people are being warned that, if we continue to overuse antibiotics, we could see many more deaths from simple infections that were previously treatable. The Public Health Agency (PHA) is asking everyone to do their part to help keep antibiotics working for the future. The agency is issuing a reminder that antibiotics should only be used for serious bacterial infections and that the medication doesn’t work for viral infections, like a cold or flu. Dr Philip Veal, Consultant in Health Protection at the PHA, said: “Research has shown