West Nile Virus

An outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV) on the Greek mainland has been confirmed by Public Health authorities in Greece. More than 100 cases have been confirmed in the periphery of Central Macedonia (Northern Greece), including nine deaths. These are the first human cases of WNV to be reported from Greece.

Travellers to areas where there is WNV activity should be aware of the risk and take appropriate steps to avoid mosquito bites.

Click above for more information.

If in doubt get checked out, says PHA

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is highlighting the importance of safer sex and HIV testing for men who have sex with men (MSM) during Derry Pride festival tomorrow.

Recent figures show 424 people in Northern Ireland are living with HIV infection with 202 people becoming infected through sex between men – a figure that has been on the rise since 2000.

Breast awareness: looking out for changes


The Public Health Agency advises women of all ages to be breast aware and check their breasts regularly at home for lumps and anything else that might seem unusual.

Jacqueline McDevitt, Breast Screening QA Coordinator, Public Health Agency, said: “Women aged between 50 and 70 are invited for breast screening every 3 years as part of the Northern Ireland Breast Screening Programme. Breast screening can help find breast cancer at an early stage before any other signs or symptoms appear. If breast cancer is found at an early stage there is a good chance of a successful recovery. If you are invited for screening we urge you to attend.”

In addition to attending regular invitations for breast screening, women are also encouraged to be breast aware which means knowing what changes are normal for them and which may need to be checked by a GP. Click on the title above to download the leaflet Breast awareness: looking out for changes.

Did you know skin cancer is Northern Ireland’s No.1 cancer?

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in Northern Ireland and accounts for more than one quarter of all individuals diagnosed with cancer. There are two main types of skin cancer - melanoma and non-melanoma - melanoma is the least common but is the most serious form. There has been a dramatic increase in cases over the years with malignant melanoma skin cancer cases nearly trebling in 25 years. Research shows that using a sunbed once a month or more can increase the risk of developing skin cancer by more than half and using sunbeds before the age of 35 years can increase the risk of developing melanoma skin cancer by up to 75%.

With these figures in mind the Public Health Agency (PHA) is launching a campaign to raise awareness of the health effects of sunbed use, especially among young people.

Statement from Public Health Agency on legal highs

The Public Health Agency (PHA) has called repeatedly for legislation which will allow new legal highs to be banned immediately.

While the Government has acted to ban specific synthetic drugs once the risks of taking them become known, it has always been our concern that the producers of these drugs will manufacture alternative ones to get around the law.
 

Welcome

The Public Health Agency (PHA) was established in April 2009 as part of the reforms to Health and Social Care (HSC) introduced by Health Minister Michael McGimpsey. We are the major regional organisation in Northern Ireland for health improvement and health protection.

Our purpose is:

  • to protect public health and improve the health and social wellbeing of people in Northern Ireland;
  • to reduce inequalities in health and social wellbeing through targeted, effective action;
  • to build strong partnerships with individuals, communities and other key stakeholders to achieve tangible improvements in health and social wellbeing.

We use this site as a public platform to document the broad range of activity we undertake across all key areas of our work.