15 Mar 2010

Chronic conditions such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes are expected to increase dramatically – according to a new study carried out by the Institute of Public Health (IPH)

The IPH study Making Chronic Conditions Count describes the prevalence of these conditions in 2007 and estimated levels for 2015 and 2020 across the island of Ireland. It forecasts a 30% increase in the number of people living with these conditions in Northern Ireland by 2020.

9 Mar 2010

CARDI launch Call 3 of Ageing Research Grants Programme

The Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI) is increasing the grants for research on ageing issues in Ireland. It is offering up to €100,000 for research projects that will improve the lives of older people.

Call 3 of the CARDI Ageing Research Grants Programme opened last week. Anybody seeking funding must submit the two-page summary (the PAR8 form) by noon on Wednesday 7 April 2010. The deadline for full submissions is noon on Monday 24 May 2010.

10 Mar 2010

Smoking across the Island
The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) in Northern Ireland, report that tobacco is responsible for approximately 2,300 deaths each year. Figures from the Department of Health and Children estimate that smoking is the cause of approximately 7,000 deaths in the Republic of Ireland each year, chiefly by illnesses such as lung cancer, heart disease, stroke and emphysema.

9 Mar 2010

The Centre brings together leading experts from a range of disciplines working in partnership with practitioners, policy makers and wider stakeholders, to build research capacity and tackle the major public health issues that are affecting the health of the nation today.

The aim of this meeting is to provide participants with the opportunity to hear about and discuss how HIA can support action on health inequalities. Join us for what promises to be a lively and informative discussion:

·         Ensuring health equity is considered in policies developed both within and outside the health system is an issue of concern for the World Health Organisation. We are delighted to welcome Sarah Simpson to present an overview of work conducted by WHO in this area.

IPH made the following response to the Department of the Environment (NI) on the Draft Addendum to Planning Policy Statement 7.

Access the Draft Addendum to Planning Policy Statement 7

The IPH response in full:

26 Feb 2010

'Climate change: whose health will be affected' was the focus of a recent Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) seminar. 

Opened by Minister John Gormley TD, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the event raised awareness of the potential health impacts of climate change and the action needed to reduce likelihood of adverse health outcomes and brought together stakeholders with a role in the climate change agenda.

Speakers included:

TIM O'BRIEN

THE HIGH numbers of people who die during the winter months, particularly as a result of respiratory disease and heart failure, may decrease because of global warming, an all-Ireland conference on the health implications of climate change has been told.

25 Feb 2010

Conference highlights - 'What's good for climate is good for health'

The impact of climate change on health, and the health benefits of tackling climate change, were highlighted today at a conference hosted by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH).

Chronic conditions are responsible for a significant proportion of early deaths.  They reduce quality of life in many of the adults living with them, represent substantial financial costs to patients and the health and social care system, and cause a significant loss of productivity to the economy.