Family life today: where’s the risk?

Accidents are the main cause of death for children post-infancy, with many occurring in the home. During Child Safety Week (3-9 June) the Public Health Agency (PHA) is highlighting steps to make your home as safe as possible. Hilary Johnston, Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement Manager with the PHA, said: “None of us wants to think about anything bad happening to our children, so it is important that we don’t ignore the risks but take steps to reduce the likelihood of children having an accident around the home. “Accidents often happen when we’re distracted and can happen alarmingly

Community pharmacies to promote key public health messages

A new programme aimed at offering advice to pharmacy customers on public health issues is being launched by the Public Health Agency (PHA), the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) and Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI). The ‘Living Well’ service will commence on 1 June and will provide information and advice on key public health issues. Community pharmacists and staff in over 500 pharmacies in Northern Ireland will proactively deliver the programme. There are two elements to Living Well. Firstly, opportunistic interventions to help reduce risk factors which cause illness in Northern Ireland. Issues

PHA raising awareness of Stop Smoking Services on World No Tobacco Day

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is using World No Tobacco Day to raise awareness about free Stop Smoking Services available in communities across Northern Ireland. The network of free services offer tailored advice and support to help you quit for good. Promoting the range of services available, Séamus Mullen, the PHA’s Health Improvement strategic lead on smoking, said: “Quitting smoking is one of the proactive steps you can take to improve your health and general wellbeing, with benefits also for your finances and general appearance. “Smoking cessation services are a major building block