Pregnant? Protect yourself and your baby against flu

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. Each year the flu vaccine protects against the three most common strains of flu and this year includes swine flu (H1N1), which is particularly dangerous for pregnant women.

This report is the fifth annual perinatal mortality surveillance report conducted under the auspices of the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health (CEMACH).

The eighth Report of the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in the UK investigates the deaths of 261 women who died in the triennium 2006–08, from causes directly or indirectly related to pregnancy. The full Report is available for purchase or download from the Centre for Maternal and Child Enquiries (CMACE; www.cmace.org.uk).

This, the seventh Report of the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in the United Kingdom (UK) enquires into maternal deaths and has a new title, “Saving Mothers’ Lives”. The change has been made to more accurately reflect the purpose of this, the longest running example of a maternal death review in the world.

Suicide prevention must be prioritised

Health Minister Edwin Poots has called together key figures in tackling suicide and reaffirmed his commitment to tackling rising rates in Northern Ireland. The Minister requested the workshop in Belfast, which brought together key people from the community and voluntary sectors to consider what further action could be taken to help tackle rising levels of suicide and self-harm in local communities. The workshop was organised by the Public Health Agency (PHA).

Mary Black, Assistant Director for Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement in the Public Health Agency, established the Belfast Drug and Alcohol Working Group in early 2010 to undertake a scoping exercise of drugs and alcohol services in Belfast, and to produce a report outlining their findings and making some recommendations as to how services could be better promoted, targeted, co-ordinated and ultimately improved. 

Rabies – it can be a fatal bite

Rabies is a preventable disease, but it kills up to 55,000 people each year. Therefore on World Rabies Day, 28 September 2011, the Public Health Agency (PHA) wants to raise awareness and understanding about the importance of seeking medical advice on whether the country or countries people are visiting require vaccination against this serious disease.