By Aideen Sheehan, Knowledge Translation Officer If you knew there was a group who died years earlier, were more likely to suffer from heart disease and cancer, and had a much greater risk of dying from suicide, respiratory disease and COVID-19, you’d assume they would be beating down the doors of doctors’ surgeries in a…

A Knowledge Exchange hosted by the North South Alcohol Policy Advisory Group. In December 2020 the North South Alcohol Policy Advisory Group hosted a Knowledge Exchange to share evidence and policy developments relevant to reducing alcohol harm in night-life settings. Evidence is emerging on how to balance the pleasures and benefits of night life in…

Its been a year like no other for public engagement with public health science. The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that every citizen has had to engage in some way or other with public health advice as well as public health data, research and evidence.  It’s therefore timely that  ‘Communicating Science and Health’ is one of…

In this blog, Dr Helen McAvoy, Director of Policy at the Institute of Public Health, explores what we know about excess deaths from respiratory disease in socially disadvantaged communities, and asks what can be done to respond. Recent developments on health inequalities on the island of Ireland Earlier this month, the Northern Ireland Assembly Health…

Today’s theme for the European Public Health Week is “Your Local Community”.  Joanne Vance, Director of Community Development Health Network (CDHN) talks about the Elevate programme which provides opportunities for the development of skills, knowledge and expertise in community development as a way to tackle health inequalities. CDHN advocates using community development approaches to empower…

Dr Claire McEvoy, Lecturer in Nutrition and Ageing Research and Rebecca Townsend PhD researcher at the Centre for Public Health, Queen’s University Belfast advise that it is never too early or never too late to adopt a brain healthy lifestyle! In this blog they highlight ways to slow down cognitive decline and delay or prevent…

In this blog, Ciara Reynolds and Joanna Purdy from the Institute of Public Health (IPH) discuss gambling and mental health, effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and explore the potential public health impact of gambling regulation. Ciara and Joanna are Public Health Development Officers at IPH.  They recently presented evidence to the Northern Ireland All Party Group on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling and submitted views to the consultation on a draft Mental…

Professor Roger O’Sullivan, Director of Ageing Research & Development at IPH, talks about loneliness as a key public health issue. “Public health and social measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic have brought profound changes to everyday life…. many more people have gained personal insight into what it means to be socially isolated, lonely, or both.…

On World Hypertension Day, Dr. Diane Bredin discusses the impact of COVID-19 on hypertension and considers priorities in pandemic recovery. Diane is currently working in general practice and completing an internship with the Institute of Public Health as part of her Masters in Public Health at University of Limerick. Hypertension is a major preventable risk…