Churches from across Northern Ireland came together today at Stormont to officially launch a new partnership initiative which aims to prevent suicide. ‘Flourish!’ is a regional inter-church suicide prevention initiative which involves Lighthouse Ireland, the Churches’ Community Work Alliance (Northern Ireland), and the four main churches in Northern Ireland. Flourish! has been developed in partnership with the Public Health Agency (PHA).

To coincide with Self-Injury Awareness Day tomorrow, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is publishing the first Annual Report of the Northern Ireland Registry of Self-Harm. The Northern Ireland Registry of Self-Harm has been implemented across each of the five Health and Social Care Trusts since 1 April 2012.

A healthier approach to food in schools is being taken to improve learning opportunities and health and wellbeing by encouraging better eating habits among children. The ‘Food in Schools’ conference, held at Stranmillis University College, Belfast, today [26 February] brought together Education Minister John O’Dowd and Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride in support of the action needed to provide children with healthier food choices and nutritional information to support a healthier diet.

You know spring is on its way when you begin to see lambs appearing in the fields; however the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding pregnant women about the risk of close contact with sheep during lambing season. Pregnant women who come into close contact with sheep during lambing may be risking their own health and that of their unborn child from infections that can be transferred from ewes. It is also important to note that cows and goats which have recently given birth can also carry similar infections.

People across Belfast are finding out how to cook healthy, tasty, low cost meals thanks to cookery demonstrations being organised by the Public Health Agency (PHA). The demonstrations are helping to promote the PHA’s ‘Choose to Live Better’ campaign, which helps people identify how they can take small practical steps to reduce their waist size. The cooking demonstrations will focus on creating good food that won’t break the bank.

As the countdown to No Smoking Day 2014 [Wednesday 12 March] gets underway, thousands of smokers across Northern Ireland were today urged to take their first step to Victory and set 12 March 2014 as their quit date. The Public Health Agency (PHA), Cancer Focus Northern Ireland and British Heart Foundation (BHF) Northern Ireland, who are part of the Northern Ireland No Smoking Day Coordinating Committee, have joined forces to call on local smokers to stop smoking and to avail of the support that is available to help them on their road to Victory.

Improving the lives of older people is the focus of a series of community conversations aimed at developing ‘good neighbourhoods for ageing well’. The conversation events have been initiated by the Southern Strategic Health Improvement Partnership (SSHIP) and funded by the Public Health Agency (PHA). The events will be coordinated by the local councils and will be held in Kilkeel, Dromore, Craigavon, Keady and Fivemiletown.