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Assembling
the agenda for health
Putting health at the top of
the agenda for the new Assembly is a priority for the Health
Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland. Speaking at the launch
of the Agency's seventh Annual report, Mr Douglas Smyth, Chairman
of the Health Promotion Agency, emphasised the importance
of the organisation's role in seeking higher standards of
public health for the people of Northern Ireland.
"Individuals must remain alert
to and be kept informed of the dangers of illness and how
it might be avoided. Long term improvement will only come
from policies which seek to reduce the inequalities in health
between the social classes, so raising the overall standards
of health in Northern Ireland. The present Government has
already given a strong lead in ensuring that the health impact
of all new policies is taken into account across all Government
departments such as, transport, education, agriculture and
environment. It is hoped that this initiative will be retained
when the Assembly comes to power."
This year the Agency will be
helping to tackle many health issues. One of the main priorities
will be the implementation of the 'Be
active - be healthy' strategy, thus ensuring that everyone
in Northern Ireland has the opportunity to take part in physical
activities which are now known to promote good health.
Recent research has shown the
benefits of a good diet in relation to cancer prevention.
The Agency will therefore be continuing its work in promoting
the advantages of a healthy diet to the public by further
involvement with schools, workplaces and commercial organisations.
Later this year a number of public
information campaigns have been planned by the Agency, including
the third phase of the Northern Ireland Drugs Campaign, which
it is hoped will be as successful as the previous two. It
is vital that the Northern Ireland public, whether young or
old, are aware of the dangers of drugs.
Mr Smyth concluded: "The Assembly
has a golden opportunity to ensure from the beginning that
all of its policies are based on the desire to secure maximum
health and social gain for the people of Northern Ireland.
The Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland looks forward
to working with the Assembly and its committees to achieve
this goal."
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