Managing health and increasing well-being

The Building the Community-Pharmacy Partnership has worked to improve local health outcomes by encouraging members of the community to develop skills relating to managing their own health, and providing accessible information on the availability of services of which they can avail of. The aim is to facilitate local people to gain knowledge on various health issues through books, videos, leaflets and enable the most vulnerable and in need to access additional support through the pharmacy to complementary therapy. Outcome: A room in the pharmacy has been renovated and offers access to other support services. Funding has allowed the pharmacist to equip the room with videos, leaflets, books etc. There has been an increase in partnership working between the community group, pharmacist and more contact has been made with primary care. Further funding has allowed for the development of a subsidised support referral service for counselling and complementary therapies. As well as this, the pharmacist has worked with local groups to provide information sessions on lifestyle and on health issues identified by the local groups

Drumcree Health House

The main aim for the 'Everyone for Health' project is to provide information in a community setting on issues identified by local people.

PHA supports World Hospice and Palliative Care Day

Saturday 8 October 2011 marks World Hospice and Palliative Care Day. The Public Health Agency would like to celebrate and support hospice and palliative care around the world by raising awareness and understanding of the needs - medical, social, practical and spiritual - of people living with a life-limiting illness, and their families.This year's World Hospice and Palliative Care Day theme is 'Many diseases, manylives, many voices - palliative care fornon-communicableconditions'.The theme will focus on how people living with conditions thatare notinfectious can benefit from palliative care.Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which include cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory conditions and diabetes, make up60% of deaths worldwide. The majority of thesedeaths occur in low and middle income countries, where palliative care is often not available. To get involved in World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, log on to www.worldday.org/get-involved/ which gives you ideas and suggestions on what you can do on the day to support people living with life-limiting illnesses, and their families.Mary Hinds, Director of Nursing and Allied Health Professions, PHA, and Chair of the Implementation Process for End of Life Care in Northern Ireland, said: "Good quality palliative and end of life care will be important for us all. 'Living Matters, Dying Matters' is a five year strategy for palliative and end of life care in Northern Ireland, established to ensure that any person living with a life-threatening illness lives well and dies well, irrespective of their condition or care setting. "It has been encouraging to see the plans being taken forward by the Health and Social Care Trusts in partnership with local hospices and other providers, and involving local people."We aim to ensure that people receiving palliative care, their families and carers, are provided with high quality care across all settings and conditions, and are supported to enjoy a good quality of life, maximising their potential through the course of their illness."There is still some progress to be made within the context of the review of health and social services. We are looking for statutory and voluntary services to work together to make a significant difference in improving access to high quality services for those with life-limiting conditions, and to develop innovative approaches to care."

Food Focus

he Food Focus Community Food Initiative promotes healthy eating through a variety of co-ordinated, strategic activities that offer people a way to engage in a positive approach to food. It is creating one community, one message about healthy eating and ensure the ability to achieve a healthy diet through building a variety of sustainable, engaging food activities. Food Focus is a set of community based structures dedicated to addressing the risk and instances of food poverty in the Knocknaheeny area and intends to act as a model for similar work across other RAPID/Health Area Zone areas on the North side of Cork. It offers participants the chance to grow their own food, sign up to the food charter, learn about budgeting and planning or volunteer. The Community Food Charter was developed by local people and other stakeholders supported by the Community Dietician and will reflect the kind of food experiences they want for themselves, their families, within projects and public outlets. They are currently developing a large community garden in Knocknaheeny. Contact Person Katherine Harford Phone +353 (0)21 4300135 Address HSE BuildingHarbourview RoadKnocknaheenyCork Email Katherine@nicheonline.ie Website http://www.nicheonline.ie/index.php?pageID=152

Healthy Gardening

Helping Local People and Local Communities create a Healthier Environment The healthy gardening project is a ten week programme which runs in community gardens/allotments throughout the county in partnership with community development projects. The underpinning values of the approach taken are holistic in nature and cover the areas of individual and community health and wellbeing, ecosystem health, environment and sustainablility. HSE and VEC Initiative Type Nutrition Education and Training Programmes Location Letterkenny Funding HSE and VEC Partner Agencies Community projects County council Family resource centre VEC Adult Education Service

The state of the Countryside Annual Report

The State of the Countryside Report, published by the Commission for Rural Communities, provides a comprehensive picture of the quality of life in rural England. It shows that, in the most disadvantaged rural areas, almost one in three households lives on a low income and, across rural England as a whole, the price of housing is out of reach of many local people and some services, such as banking, continue to decline.

'Active Travel' Maps: Derry/Londonderry, Enniskillen, Limavady, Omagh and Strabane

New 'Active Travel' Maps, funded by the Public Health Agency, for the cities and towns of Derry/ Londonderry, Enniskillen, Limavady, Omagh and Strabane have been launched to encourage local people and visitors to build physical activity into their day by walking, cycling, jogging, or using public transport.The Active Maps aim to promote health and wellbeing across the five district councils in the West and contain information on local cycle, walk and bus routes as well as useful contacts such as local cycle hire and sales outlets and walking groups, for example.

The Social Inclusion of Older People at Local Level: The Role and Contribution of CDBs

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Social Inclusion of Older People at Local Level:The Role and Contribution of the CDBs - Conference Proceedings

This is a publication of The National Council on Ageing and Older People The Conference took place on October 3, 2005 . It attracted almost 250 delegates from across the statutory, voluntary and private sectors, and from every county. The Conference provided the opportunity for delegates to focus on the issue of social inclusion of older people at local level and the challenges it presents. It also gave us the opportunity to examine the issue in the context of work done at the international and national levels as well as work done at local level. Read the Report (PDF, 317kb)

Briefing Paper on Health Inequalities for Elected Members of Local Government (ROI)

The social and economic circumstances in which people live strongly influence their chances to be healthy.  Factors such as housing, transport, environment, education and employment are just some of the functions of local government that influence health. IPH, in partnership with CAN and Nexus developed a briefing paper to support elected members of local government to ensure that the decision in which they are involved have a positive impact on health, especially the health of vulnerable groups.  It provides councillors with information to assist in contributing to a better quality of life for constituents with healthier decision making in areas such as safer environments, increased education opportunities, better housing stock and improved public transport availability.

IPH Submission to Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government Climate Change Response Bill 2010

The main purpose of the Clmate Change Bill is to provide for the adoption of a national policy for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; to support this through the making of mitigation and adaptation action plans; and to make provision for emission reduction targets to support the objective of transition to a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy.The remit of the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) is to promote cooperation for public health between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the areas of research and information, capacity building and policy advice. Our approach is to support Departments of Health and their agencies in both jurisdictions, and maximise the benefits of all-island cooperation to achieve practical benefits for people in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.IPH has a keen interest in the effects of climate change on health. In September 2010 the IPH published a paper – Climate Change and Health: A platform for action - to inform policy-makers and the public about the health benefits in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This paper followed a seminar with international speakers, opened by Minister Gormley, on the same topic in February 2010. 

IPH response to Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Department for Regional Development Spatial Strategies

The remit of the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) is to promote cooperation for public health between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the areas of research and information, capacity building and policy advice. Our approach is to support Departments of Health and their agencies in both jurisdictions, and maximise the benefits of all-island cooperation to achieve practical benefits for people in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. As an all-island body, the Institute of Public Health in Ireland particularly welcomes that the Framework for Collaboration has been co-produced by the Department for Regional Development and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. In addition the Institute of Public Health welcomes a more holistic approach to spatial planning that takes into account the environment and sustainable economic development. A clean environment and a more equitable distribution of prosperity have associated health benefits, as outlined in the IPH’s Active travel – healthy lives (2011) and Health impacts of the built environment- a review (2006).

Submission to the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government: Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas

The Institute of Public Health in Ireland is an all-island body which aims to improve health in Ireland by working to combat health inequalities and influence public policies in favour of health. The Institute promotes co-operation in research, training, information and policy in order to contribute to policies which tackle inequalities in health.   Over the past ten years the Institute has worked closely with the Department of Health and Children and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland to build capacity for public health across the island of Ireland.   The Institute takes the view that health is determined by policies, plans and programmes in many sectors outside the health sector as well as being dependent on access to and availability of first class health services. The importance of other sectors is encapsulated in a social determinants of health perspective which recognises that health is largely shaped and influenced by the physical, social, economic and cultural environments in which people live, work and play. Figure 1 illustrates these multi-dimensional impacts on health and also serves to highlight the clear and inextricable links between health and sustainable development. Factors that impact on long-term sustainability will thus also impact on health.

Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2011-2016 National Implementation Framework

Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2011-2016 National Implementation Framework The Government's National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability was published in October 2011 by the Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government and the Department of Health. The strategy covers the period to 2016 and outlines the broad proposals and strategic objectives involved in effectively addressing the housing and related support needs of people with disabilities. The Implementation Framework develops the key actions from the Strategy and assigns responsibilities to stakeholders, within relevant timelines, and provides key performance indicators, as appropriate.   Click here to download PDF 3.8mb

Reducing unintentional injuries on the roads among children and young people under 25

Public Health England today launches 2 new resources for local authorities on preventing accidents to children and young people in the home and on the road. The reports show whilst the number of children and young people killed or seriously injured continues to fall in England there are still significant numbers of deaths and emergency admissions from preventable causes. On average each year between 2008 to 2012, 525 children and young people under 25 died and there were more than 53,700 admissions to hospital. The reports highlight actions local partners can take to reduce accidents including improving safety for children travelling to and from school and using existing services like health visitors and children’s centres. The Reducing unintentional injuries in and around the home among children under 5 Years and the Reducing unintentional injuries on the roads among children and young people under 25 reports include an analysis of data between 2008 to 2012. Key findings from the reports include: home injuries (under 5 years of age): an average of 62 children died each year between 2008 and 2012 these injuries result in an estimated 40,000 emergency hospital admissions among children of this age each year 5 injury types should be prioritised for the under-fives: choking; suffocation and strangulation; falls; poisoning; burns and scalds; and drowning hospital admission rate for unintentional injuries among the under-fives is 45% higher for children from the most deprived areas compared with children from the least deprived Road traffic injuries (under 25 years of age) there were 2,316 deaths recorded by the police among road users under the age of 25 years, an average of 463 under 25s each year there were 68,657 admissions to hospital as a result of road traffic injuries, an average of 13,731 each year in total there were 322,613 casualties of all severities recorded by the police, an average of 64,523 each year the rate of fatal and serious injuries for 10to 14 year olds was significantly greater for children from the 20% most deprived areas (37 per 100,000) compared with those from the most affluent areas (10 per 100,000)