Pregnant women are more likely to develop serious complications as a result of flu compared to women who are not pregnant, so the message from the Public Health Agency (PHA) is to protect yourself and your baby by getting the flu vaccine. First-time mum-to-be Grainne Cushley is 34 weeks pregnant, and explained that getting the flu vaccine was an easy decision to make.

“Mental health issues can affect anyone, regardless of age, sex or background” – that is the key message for this year’s World Mental Health Day from the Public Health Agency (PHA). World Mental Health Day aims to raise public awareness about the wide range of mental health issues which people experience.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging all local smokers to support ‘Stoptober’ – a Department of Health campaign running in England to encourage smokers to go smoke-free during the month of October. The campaign seeks to encourage as many smokers as possible to attempt to go smokefree for 28-days throughout October as they are five times more likely to stay smokefree if they successfully make it through the first four weeks of their quit attempt.

People in south Belfast can now get fit in a fresh way at a newly launched outdoor gym at Blythefield in the Sandy Row and Village area. Funded by Belfast City Council and the Public Health Agency under the Active Belfast Programme, the gym is the first of its kind in the Belfast council area and has been installed in consultation with the local community. Today (Monday, 1 October) the gym was officially opened, and members of the community can now try a range of exercises including air walking, hip twisting and ski cross country all in one place.

With Breast Cancer Awareness month beginning today (Monday 1st - Wednesday 31st October 2012) the Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging all women to be breast aware and to attend screening when invited. “Prevention and early detection are key to saving lives,” said Dr Adrian Mairs, Consultant in Public Health, PHA and Quality Assurance Director for the Northern Ireland Breast Screening Programme.

Following today’s announcement by the Health Minister of a vaccination programme against whooping cough (also known as pertussis) for pregnant women in their third trimester, the Public Health Agency (PHA) has confirmed the details of the programme.

Northern Ireland people whose health could be seriously affected by flu were today urged to get the free flu vaccine as the Public Health Agency (PHA) launched its seasonal flu vaccination programme for 2012/2013. The message going out to people in ‘at risk’ groups, including over 65s, pregnant women, children and adults with some serious medical conditions, as well as youngsters attending schools for children with severe learning difficulties, is ‘Flu is more serious than you think – so get the flu vaccination now’.

To mark World Rabies Day (September 28) the PHA is urging people travelling overseas to be aware of the risk of catching the almost always fatal infection. The aim of World Rabies Day is to raise awareness about the impact of human and animal rabies, how easy it is to prevent, and how to eliminate the main global sources. Rabies in humans is 100% preventable, yet more than 55,000 people – mostly in Africa and Asia die from rabies every year.

With sexually transmitted infections on the rise, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding those students who choose to have sex, to make it safer as the new academic term starts. Leaving home or making many new friends at college or university is an exciting time for students, but young people starting this new chapter in their lives could be putting their health in danger through sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or run the risk of an unplanned pregnancy if they have unprotected sex.