Whether planning a family vacation or backpacking across Asia there are several things to consider to help protect your health when abroad. The Public Health Agency (PHA) has put together a handy guide of health advice to help protect you and your family’s health when travelling. Dr Patrick McAleavey, Consultant in Health Protection at the PHA, said: “When preparing for a holiday most people remember to pack the sunscreen, which is really important, but there are other things we need to consider to help protect our health on holiday. “Knowing the health risks of the country you’re travelling

A health and wellbeing festival for older people is helping to connect different generations in Northern Ireland through creative arts. The ‘Here and Now’ festival is co-funded by the Public Health Agency (PHA) and Arts Care and is celebrating the creativity of older people from across Northern Ireland at a new exhibition. The ‘Right Here, Right Now’ exhibition, is open to the public at the Arts for All Gallery in Cityside Retail Park, Belfast and runs throughout the month of May. Jeff Scroggie, Regional Lead for Ageing Well at the PHA said: “The Here and Now health and wellbeing festival is a

The Public Health Agency (PHA) has published new research – the ‘Behavioural insights into youth vaping in Northern Ireland’ report – which provides detailed information on the use of e-cigarettes and perceptions of vaping among young people, as well as insights into tobacco use, and will help inform the future design of targeted interventions and communications on vape use by young people. The research had access to the views and experiences of young people aged 11-18 years towards e-cigarette and tobacco use, and looked into their knowledge and perceptions of health risks. The findings give

This Sun Awareness Week [12-18 May], the Public Health Agency (PHA) and Cancer Focus Northern Ireland are encouraging everyone to protect their skin from UV damage and also check it regularly for signs and symptoms of skin cancer. Frances Dowds, Health and Wellbeing Improvement Manager at the PHA, said: “It’s great to see and feel the sunshine during the spring and summer and we hope to see plenty of sunny weather over the coming months. “Sunlight helps provide our bodies with vitamin D, supports bone health, lowers blood pressure, helps prevent disease and promotes good mental health. However