People moving to new accommodation following a period of homelessness are benefitting from a ‘Home Starter Pack’ scheme which provides essential household appliances and hygiene and toiletry items. Public Health Agency (PHA) funding of £120,000 has enabled more than 330 households to benefit from Home Starter Packs and, for the first time, child-specific bedding for families transitioning from homelessness will also be provided. More than 2,200 households also received Getting Started boxes which contain basic food items. The PHA-funded scheme is managed by Homeless Connect, with additional

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging those yet to get a COVID-19 booster to get theirs before the offer ends on 31 March. Rachel Spiers, Immunisation and Vaccination Programme Manager at the PHA, said: “The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has advised that the 2021 first booster offer for healthy 16 to 49-year-olds should end when the current autumn campaign ends in favour of a more targeted approach in 2023/24. “This means that the 31 March will not only be the last day of the 22/23 autumn booster campaign here but it will also be the final day that 16 to 49-year

Despite rabies not being present in Northern Ireland it still remains a risk to those traveling abroad, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is therefore taking this opportunity to remind travellers about the risk of catching rabies from animals. Rabies is an acute viral infection and it is essential to get treatment if you have been bitten, as rabies is almost certainly fatal. The infection causes swelling of the brain and symptoms usually start 2–8 weeks after being bitten or scratched. Dr Philip Veal, Public Health Consultant at PHA, said: “Whether your traveling for pleasure or for work or maybe

A new campaign focussing on the importance and benefits of physical activity as we get older has been launched in pharmacies across Northern Ireland. ‘Live Longer and Stronger Ageing Well’ is running in community pharmacies throughout February and March as part of the Living Well service. It highlights how keeping active helps you stay healthy and age well. Living Well is offered in over 500 pharmacies across Northern Ireland and provides information and advice on public health issues. It is delivered in partnership with the Public Health Agency (PHA), Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI), and the

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is emphasising how important and effective the cervical screening programme is in preventing cancer. Dr Bríd Farrell, Deputy Director of Public Health at the PHA, said: “Since the cervical screening programme was first introduced in Northern Ireland in 1988, many lives have been saved. Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers that can be prevented thanks to screening. It is estimated that in a well-screened population, eight out of ten cervical cancers can be prevented. I urge everyone who receives an invitation for screening to attend for their smear test.

Public Health Agency (PHA) is rolling out a mass media campaign aimed at improving and protecting people’s sexual health and wellbeing. This comes as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continue to rise in Northern Ireland. In 2021, there was a 47% increase in the overall number of STI tests carried out compared with before the pandemic in 2019. This is due to a significant increase in home STI testing, commissioned by the health service. Ten percent of these home tests were positive, and this positivity rate has not fallen with the increased testing, which would suggest that people are

As we approach World Cancer Day on Saturday 4 February, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is highlighting the signs and symptoms of cancer and encouraging people to seek medical advice from their GP if they have concerns. Dr Louise Herron, Consultant in Public Health at the PHA, said that the earlier cancer is diagnosed, the greater the chances of survival as treatment is more likely to be successful. “Changes to your body’s normal processes or unusual, unexplained symptoms can sometimes be an early sign of cancer,” Dr Herron said. “It is important to be body aware and take action if you notice

The future of antibiotics depends on all of us using them carefully. It is important that we are aware of the impact of Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and the steps we can all take to reduce the risk it poses to us. The Public Health Agency (PHA) is therefore reminding everyone to help keep antibiotics working for bacterial infections by only using them when prescribed by a healthcare professional and making sure to finish taking the full course of antibiotics. Dr Judith Ewing, Consultant at the PHA, said: “This winter we have seen an increase in bacterial infections, in particular scarlet

A new campaign from the Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging anyone with feelings of anxiety or distress, or who is in crisis, to start the conversation about their thoughts and feelings. The ‘Talking really helps’ campaign on TV, radio, social media, outdoor, print and digital advertising, encourages anyone feeling low and struggling to cope to talk to someone they trust and not to hide their feelings. The TV adverts show people putting on a brave face when talking to others but then reveals their true feelings when on their own and they are not fine or they can barely cope, and how