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The Health Promotion
Agency for Northern Ireland (HPA) was set up in 1990 as a
special agency of the Department
of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS).
We are accountable to the Minister responsible for Health.
Our
aim is to provide leadership, strategic direction and support,
where possible, to all those involved in promoting health
in Northern Ireland.
Our mission is:
"To
make health a top priority for everyone in Northern Ireland"
This
involves working with policy makers at government level, those
in statutory, voluntary, commercial and community sectors
and individuals themselves. By working with others we aim
to shift the emphasis of modern health services towards prevention,
protection and education, to reduce the need for treatment
or rehabilitation and improve overall quality of life.
Priority
areas
Priority areas
of work include nutrition, physical activity, drug and alcohol
misuse, smoking, mental health and sexual health. We are committed
to reducing the incidence of coronary heart disease and cancers,
Northern Ireland's biggest killers.
How
our work is structured
The work of
the HPA is carried out through five core business areas:
Policy
development and advice
The HPA plays
an important role in providing policy advice on issues related
to health promotion to the Minister for Health via the Department
of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and to other
Government departments. The HPA is also asked for policy advice
from a regional perspective, by many other organisations and
individuals.
Research,
information and analysis
The HPA is involved
in a wide range of primary and secondary research
to inform, test and evaluate health promotion policy development
and practical interventions. Research findings are shared
to promote learning, influence decision makers and stimulate
action and interest.
Public
and professional information (campaigns and publications)
An important
aspect of our work involves the design and implementation
of integrated information campaigns, targeted at professionals
or members of the general public. We use a wide variety of
media to deliver information, from television advertising,
leaflets and teaching materials, to use of the internet.
For
the latest information on our public information campaigns,
click Here.
We
also produce regular publications for professionals. Our quarterly
journal Promoting
Health presents a forum for presentation
of best practice and sharing of experience about approaches
to health promotion. Our bi-monthly newsletter, Inform,
keeps colleagues informed about regional health promotion
projects and initiatives with which the HPA is involved.
Training
and professional development
A planned, strategic
approach to training and professional development in health
promotion is crucial. The HPA provides an extensive range
of training events throughout the year. This training is vital
in ensuring the continued quality and effectiveness of health
promotion work.
Corporate
Agency business
Corporate business
represents the Agency's core activity, including financial
management and human resource management, which enables the
HPA to function smoothly and effectively.
The
wider context
The strategic
aims and objectives of the HPA are set within the context
of the Government's recently published public health strategy
Investing
for Health.
The strategy represents a shift in health policy, which in
the past has tended to concentrate on the treatment of ill
health rather than on its prevention. Its overall aim is to
address the wider determinants of health, particularly the
social and economic inequalities that exist among people.
Within the strategy, homes, communities, schools, colleges
and the workplace are identified as the main focal points
for programmes of activity to improve health.
It
also recognises the importance of partnership working and
collaboration between members of statutory and non-statutory
groups, community and voluntary groups as well as all Departments,
who through their involvement in the Ministerial
Group on Public Health (MGPH), were responsible for its
development.
The
HPA is uniquely placed to facilitate and foster such collaboration
in the development of regional programmes. While the Agency
works regionally, more localised health promotion work is
carried out by the Health and Social Services Trusts
in each of the four Health and Social Services Board
areas.
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