Valentine’s Day is the day to show your loved one you care. It is also Northern Ireland’s Sexual Health Awareness week, so the Public Health Agency (PHA) is asking everyone who is sexually active to protect their sexual health and that of their partner by being safe and getting tested if they have put themselves at risk of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).

In light of recent events, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding parents across Northern Ireland about the importance of talking to their children about the risks associated with alcohol and drugs. The PHA is encouraging parents to point out the dangers of intoxication to their children and to encourage them to look after their personal safety and that of their friends. There is an unhealthy drinking culture in Northern Ireland and underage drinking is just one aspect of this culture.

Northern Ireland Paralympic skier Kelly Gallagher spends a lot of time on the snow, but she is aware that although it may be cold she still needs to protect herself from the sun’s rays. Sunscreen is one holiday essential that often gets left behind when people take a winter holiday. The Public Health Agency (PHA) and Cancer Focus Northern Ireland are reminding people not to forget about the sunscreen during their winter get-away. Whether you are heading to the ski slopes or jetting off for some winter sun, it is important to stay safe in the sun during your break.

People living in the Northern area are invited to attend an information event about drugs and alcohol support services available throughout area. The public information event will be held in Coleraine on Friday 21 February and a number of organisations will take part. The event is being organised by the Voluntary and Community Sector Network (VCSN) and supported and funded by the Public Health Agency (PHA).

In Northern Ireland it is estimated that more than 100,000 people will have a rare disease at some point in their lives. The Public Health Agency (PHA), in partnership with the Northern Ireland Rare Disease Partnership (NIRDP) and the Health and Social Care Board, has led the development a Personal and Public Involvement (PPI) survey to find out the patients’ experiences of living with a rare disease.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) and Arts Care are launching an exhibition of arts and craft by older people as part of the Here and Now arts festival. The ‘RIPE’ exhibition opens on Wednesday 5 February at the Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast, and features paintings, ceramics, photography and sculptures created by older people in health and social care, with the oldest artist aged 103.

This year’s theme for World Cancer Day (4 February) is to reduce stigma and dispel myths about cancer. With this in mind the Public Health Agency (PHA) is highlighting some of the misconceptions about the disease. Myth 1: We don’t need to talk about cancer. Dr Carolyn Harper, Director of Public Health at the PHA, said: “Whilst cancer can be a difficult topic to address, we need to talk about it. There are around 9,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed each year in Northern Ireland and only by talking about cancer openly can we improve outcomes.”

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is launching a new initiative to develop "health champions" in local communities. The PHA’s South Eastern Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement Team will focus on providing 12 community health development workers with an accredited training programme on how best to promote health and wellbeing in their communities.

Around 360,000 people aged 16 years and over in Northern Ireland smoke, and sadly half of smokers here die early because of their habit. To help tackle this issue, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is teaming up with Translink and Cancer Focus to provide a special stop smoking bus which will travel around Northern Ireland in February to support smokers on their journey to quitting.

Influenza is starting to appear in Northern Ireland as expected at this time of year. This reinforces the need for people who are ‘at risk’ to get the vaccine as soon as possible, and this is particularly important for pregnant women.