The Public Health Agency (PHA) has issued advice for people to look after themselves and others as temperatures drop due to cold winds from the east. Mary Carey, Emergency Planning Co-ordinator at the PHA, said: “We know a cold spell is coming, which gives us the opportunity to plan ahead to try to reduce its impact. “For some people the onset of the cold weather can bring particular hazards. Vulnerable and older people can find it difficult to get out to the shops or to keep their house adequately heated, putting them at risk.

Belfast Drug and Alcohol Coordination Team (DACT) and Extern have hosted a conference in order to learn more about how other countries are responding to injecting drug use and the harm-reduction methods they have introduced. This comes following a number of concerns about injecting drug use in the Belfast area, including deaths from opioid overdose; an increase in blood borne viruses and serious health problems in people who inject, and issues with inappropriately discarded drug paraphernalia.

With more than two in five households here in fuel poverty, this Fuel Poverty Awareness Day (Friday 23 February) the Public Health Agency (PHA) is highlighting energy efficiency tips and services that many people will find useful in tackling the issue. A household is in fuel poverty if it needs to spend more than 10% of its income on energy costs to adequately heat the home, and Northern Ireland has a higher percentage of fuel poverty households than any other devolved region in the UK. Tracey Colgan, Senior Health and Wellbeing Improvement Officer at the PHA, said:

It is just less than one month until No Smoking Day on Wednesday 14 March, with thousands of smokers across Northern Ireland today being urged to stub out their cigarettes and become ‘Proud Quitters’.

Lifeline is Northern Ireland’s crisis response helpline service for people who are experiencing distress or despair. The Public Health Agency (PHA) commissions the Lifeline service and the current contract is due to end on 31st March 2018. The PHA offered a contract extension to the current provider, Contact (Northern Ireland), to continue to deliver this service from 1st April 2018. However, late last year Contact (Northern Ireland) decided not to accept the offer of extension of the current contract.

The PHA’s HSC R&D Division is working in partnership with Health Data Research UK which is awarding an initial £30 million funding to six sites across the UK to address challenging healthcare issues through use of data science. Each site has world-class expertise; a track record in using health data to derive new knowledge, scientific discovery and insight; and works in close partnership with NHS bodies and the public to translate research findings into benefits for patients and populations.

With a yellow weather warning for snow and ice in place for the next few days, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding everyone as the temperature drops and people turn up the heat to be aware of the symptoms of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

Northern Ireland Helplines Awareness Day tomorrow [6 February] will highlight the extensive range of helplines providing vital support, advice and information to the public across Northern Ireland. The awareness day and an event at Belfast City Hall will be hosted by Helplines Network NI, a partnership made up of 30 helplines.