Evidence-informed policy and practice

Breastfeeding is an important factor to giving a child the best start in life and is central to fostering optimal health and development in the early years and helps contribute to reducing health inequalities.

World Breastfeeding Week provides an opportunity to promote the benefits of breastfeeding and the need for further support of mothers to increase rates across the world and the island of Ireland.

Vol 7 Issue 2 – June 2013
Welcome to Public Health News in Ireland
Inside this issue

NI Health Minister Edwin Poots has said that breastfeeding gives babies a great start in life.

The Minister was speaking as he launched a new Breastfeeding Strategy for Northern Ireland. The launch took place at a joint UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative and Public Health Agency (PHA) conference on breastfeeding and relationship building.

The new Strategy sets out the strategic direction to protect, promote, support and normalise breastfeeding in Northern Ireland over the next ten years.

A key challenge for those working to increase the levels of physical activity in the community is to understand how to increase the walkability of our built environments. On 10 June 2013 IPH, Centre of Excellence for Public Health (NI), (QUB) and HRB Centre for Health and Diet Research (UCC) hosted a workshop to look at the lessons learnt from recent walkability studies conducted across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

If you missed this event you can access the presentations and audio below. 

Date: 12 June 2012

Source: BBC Good Morning Ulster

Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme referred to the recent walkability conference jointly hosted by IPH, Centre of Excellence for Public Health (Queen’s University Belfast) and HRB Centre for Health and Diet Research (UCC) to explore how recent research in the North and South of Ireland can support national policy and local government planning to increase the walkability of our towns and cities.focussing on how low levels of walking in towns and cities are contributing to our long-term health problems.

Date: 11 June 2013

Source: http://www.thejournal.ie/irish-people-walking-levels-944492-Jun2013

DO YOU WALK every day – or is walking something you only do to and from the car door?

Only one-third of the Irish population is meeting the minimum recommended weekly levels of physical activity, and the low levels of walking are contributing to long-term health problems.

Date: 11 June 2013

Source: Irish Examiner

The layout of Ireland’s towns and villages must be overhauled if the country is to adequately tackle the growing obesity crisis.  The claim was made by health experts at a major conference at University College Cork (UCC) which heard that existing community structures are creating serious medical problems for people in later life.

According to the Institute of Public Health in Ireland, less than one in three people currently meet the minimum weekly physical-activity levels for a healthy body.

Only one-third of Irish population meeting minimum recommended weekly levels of physical activity