In its first ever funding round, the UK Prevention Research Partnership (UKPRP), an alliance of research funders of which the PHA is one, is investing £25 million into understanding and influencing the social, economic and environmental factors that affect our health. The funding has been earmarked for eight projects tackling the bigger picture factors behind the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) - illnesses that can’t be passed from person to person - such as heart disease, obesity, poor mental health, cancer and diabetes. NCDs make up the vast majority of illnesses in the UK

This Sun Awareness Week the Public Health Agency (PHA) and Cancer Focus Northern Ireland are encouraging people to adopt sun safe behaviours and to be UV (ultra violet) radiation aware. The Solar UV Index shows how much solar radiation is reaching us from the sun and how careful we need to be. UV levels vary with the seasons and time of day, but when the UV index is three or above we need to protect our skin and eyes, so it’s important to know what the UV index is going to be throughout the day. I n Northern Ireland we are exposed to UV rays between March and October, even on overcast days

Each year, millions of infections are prevented through ensuring good hand hygiene. So today, ahead of the World Health Organization’s Global Hand Hygiene Day (5 May), the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding everyone of the need to ‘clean your hands’ thoroughly and regularly. The theme for Hand Hygiene Day is ‘Clean care for all – it’s in your hands’. Caroline McGeary, Senior Infection Prevention and Control Nurse at the PHA, said: “Hand hygiene is the most important method of preventing and controlling the spread of infections. It can help protect us and our families from unpleasant, and

This World Immunisation Week, Dr Jillian Johnston Consultant in Health Protection at the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding everyone that vaccines work by protecting society against many lethal diseases, but warns that we cannot become complacent. “Many childhood diseases that were common in the UK prior to the introduction of vaccination have been dramatically reduced or have disappeared altogether. However, once a disease fades from prominence’, it is easy to forget how serious they could be. Unfortunately, unless vaccine uptake remains high in Northern Ireland, many of these deadly

The Northern Ireland Frailty Network has been launched by Dr Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer and Robert Ferguson, a Service User and Information Ambassador/Peer Facilitator for Age NI. Frailty is where someone is less able to cope and recover from accidents, physical illness or other stressful events. Speaking at the launch, Robert told the audience of his personal experience of living with frailty and gave his wholehearted support for the NI Frailty Network. Robert is confident that through good service user involvement we can work together to improve the lives of people who are frail