As we venture outdoors over the summer months the Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging everyone to take steps to protect themselves from tick bites. Tick bites can cause Lyme disease, a serious and debilitating disease which can be transmitted to humans through their bite. Dr Michael Devine, Consultant in Health Protection at the PHA, explained: “Lyme disease is a bacterial infection which is transmitted by tick bites. The earliest and most common symptom of Lyme disease is a pink or red circular rash that develops around the area of the bite, 3 to 30 days after someone is bitten. The rash is

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding pregnant women to get the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine between 16 and 32 weeks of their pregnancy. Up to 19 June 2019, 44 cases of confirmed whooping cough in Northern Ireland have been reported to the PHA, of which just over one fifth were in infants under 6 months of age and so too young to be protected by their routine childhood immunisations given at 2, 3, and 4 months of age. This is higher than last year, when there were 16 cases during the same time period. Whooping cough is a disease that can cause long bouts of coughing and choking

As we enter the final week of the Active Travel Challenge (ATC), the Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging those who haven’t joined yet to sign up, get active and get involved in a healthier commute. The month-long ATC is a joint initiative by the PHA, Department for Infrastructure, Sustrans and Translink. It began on 1 June and runs until 30 June and has included four themed weeks: Bus + Train Week, Bike Week, Walk Week, and Get Active Week, which starts today. “Throughout the month, we have been asking employers to encourage staff to leave the car at home and walk, cycle or take public

This Alcohol Awareness Week (17-23 June), drinkers are being encouraged to take a closer look at their drinking habits and count their units to see if they’re staying within the recommended weekly limits. The Public Health Agency (PHA) and Northern Ireland’s five Drug and Alcohol Coordination Teams (DACTs) are asking people to take stock, give themselves an “alcohol MOT” and be aware of the 14 unit per week limit. Kelly Gilliland, Health Improvement Manager at the PHA, said: “Many of us enjoy a drink when at home or out with friends, but we need to be aware of the effect that alcohol can have

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging parents and carers to be aware of key signs that could indicate that their child may have developed Type 1 diabetes. With Type 1 diabetes, early diagnosis is important in children and young people otherwise their condition could deteriorate rapidly as a result of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas is no longer able to produce insulin and is the most common type of diabetes in children and young adults. No one knows what causes it, but it is not related to being overweight and it isn’t currently preventable. Symptoms in

To mark International Men’s Health Week (10-16 June), the Public Health Agency (PHA) is taking the opportunity to highlight the many health benefits experienced by men who have joined Men’s Sheds projects across Northern Ireland. Men’s Sheds provide a place to pursue practical interests at leisure, to practise skills and revisit previous hobbies, from woodworking, metalworking, repairing and restoring electronics to gardening. Victoria Creasy, Senior Health and Social Wellbeing Officer, from PHA said: “Men’s Sheds offer the opportunity for men to work together on projects, make new friends and

With schools finishing up soon for the summer holidays, parents are being encouraged to talk to their children and teenagers about the dangers of using alcohol and drugs. The Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging parents not to be afraid to talk about the subject and highlight the risks associated with drinking alcohol and taking drugs. The PHA’s Drugs and Alcohol lead Michael Owen said: “Many teenagers will be spending more time with friends over the coming months, possibly going to gigs and festivals, and perhaps even heading off on their first solo holiday, which could lead to drinking or

A conference to discuss the overarching policies and actions needed to improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities for the people of Northern Ireland has drawn almost 200 participants from across the region. The impact of economic factors on health and wellbeing, as well as reframing the conversation around what are the determinants of health were just two topics under the spotlight at the Making Life Better (MLB) – Creating the Conditions for Collaboration Conference . The event was organised by the Public Health Agency (PHA) and Department of Health. As part of the day-long