With a variety of sporting events this weekend – Ulster in the rugby European Cup final, the beginning of the GAA Championship and the North West 200 – the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding people to watch their alcohol intake.

Owen O’Neill, PHA Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement Manager and Drugs and Alcohol Lead, said: “The Heineken Cup final, GAA and North West 200 are exciting events that everyone can enjoy. It’s also important to be smart about your use of alcohol and make sure that your drinking does not spoil the weekend for yourself or others.

In Northern Ireland over 1,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer and over 400 people die from the disease each year, but if detected at a very early stage treatment for the cancer is 90% successful.  Therefore the Public Health Agency (PHA) urged people to take the bowel cancer screening test by hosting a stand at the Balmoral Show, which ran 16-18 May 2012). The purpose of the stand was to increase awareness of the screening programme and to encourage uptake of those eligible.

All men and women aged 60-71 years are offered screening but only one in every two people invited take part, so the Balmoral Show was a great opportunity to encourage eligible people to participate in the screening programme

You can’t always see what it’s like to live with a brain injury. Each year over 2000 people in Northern Ireland sustain a brain injury. Brain injuries can be caused by a number of different reasons including falls, road traffic accidents and assault. This can have a life changing effect on the individual, their families and carers.

This week (14 - 20 May 2012), RABIIG, the Regional Acquired Brain Injury Implementation Group, will be promoting Brain Injury Awareness 2012 and its theme - The ‘Hidden Disability’. RABIIG has been working since 2010 to improve brain injury services for users and carers. It is chaired by the Health and Social Care Board in conjunction with the Public Health Agency.

To mark Cancer Prevention Week (14–18 May 2012) the Public Health Agency (PHA) has highlighted that although around 9,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed each year in Northern Ireland, one third of these cancers are preventable and early detection helps successful treatment.

Palliative and end of life care is everybody’s business and to mark ‘Dying Matters Awareness Week’ (14-20 May 2012) the Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging everyone to take the opportunity to talk openly about dying, death and bereavement with those closest to them.

Research has found that many people have specific wishes about their end of life care or what they would like to happen after their death, but that a reluctance to discuss these issues makes it much less likely that these will be met – 70% of people would prefer to die at home but more than half currently die in hospital