The damaging impact smoking has on families is being highlighted in Northern Ireland’s new campaign to tackle smoking prevalence, which was launched today by the Public Health Agency (PHA). Smoking is the single greatest cause of preventable illness, premature death and health inequality throughout Northern Ireland and 2,300 people die prematurely each year from smoking-related illnesses such as coronary heart disease, stroke and many cancers.

Summer is over for another year and as children settle back into school, parents across Northern Ireland will be breathing an exhausted sigh of relief. But they may be back at home before you know it, suffering from one of the many common illnesses that can be picked up in the school setting. The Public Health Agency (PHA) is therefore reminding parents about the importance of good hygiene for their children – both in school and at home.

The summer holidays are over and it’s back to class. So with this in mind the Public Health Agency (PHA) and safefood are reminding parents about the importance of packing a healthy lunchbox for children. Parents of Primary One children across Northern Ireland will receive a copy of the leaflet ‘Are you packing a healthy lunch?’ through their school, which is full of suggestions on how to make the contents of lunchboxes tasty and healthy.

This video answers some of the main questions you might have about the childhood flu vaccination programme which is being phased-in from September 2013. Dr Richard Smithson talks about the first two cohorts affected - two and three year olds and P6 pupils - and how they will be administered with the nasal vaccine. Click here to watch the video.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is today launching the first phase of a programme that will offer flu vaccine to all children aged two to 16 years inclusive. This will help protect children against flu and reduce its spread. This year the vaccine will be offered to children aged two and three years and to those in school year primary six.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) yesterday kick-started a roadshow for the ‘10,000 Voices’ project, a PHA initiative that aims to involve the public in shaping future healthcare services across Northern Ireland. Pat Cullen, Director of Nursing and Allied Health Professions at the PHA, said: “10,000 Voices is a unique project that offers people an opportunity to tell us about their experiences as a patient or as someone who has experienced the health service, and to highlight the things that were important to them which will help direct how care is delivered in Northern Ireland”.

Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in Northern Ireland and over 400 people die from the disease each year. However, the good news is that early detection can make a real difference as to whether someone with bowel cancer survives. With this in mind, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging everyone to be aware of the early signs and symptoms of the disease. Bowel cancer can occur at any age and symptoms can include: