PublicHealthMatters 
Last month, a new variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 infection named Omicron was identified and countries around the world are taking action to identify cases and outbreaks and control the spread while we learn more. All viruses naturally change and evolve over time, and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease, is no … Read more
The UK Public Health Rapid Support Team (UK-PHRST) was created five years ago after the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014-16 to support Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) to prepare for and respond to public health outbreaks. In those five years, the team has achieved a great deal. We have deployed to outbreaks 23 … Read more
Surveillance studies for COVID-19 have been crucial in helping the Government’s response to the pandemic. They’ve improved our understanding of how and where the virus is spreading, vaccine effectiveness, and helped shape government policy. REACT also identified waves of the virus that enabled the Government to take appropriate steps to safeguard the health of … Read more
On World Aids Day 2021, a new Action Plan has been published to move towards ending HIV transmission, AIDS and HIV-related deaths in England by 2030. In January 2019 the government committed to this bold ambition and the four-year plan, developed by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and the UK Health Security … Read more
In recent weeks, a number of cases of avian influenza, or ‘bird flu’ as it’s commonly known, have been confirmed across England, Scotland, and Wales. Bird flu is an infectious type of influenza that spreads among birds and there are many different types. Some strains of bird flu can pass to humans but this is … Read more
Antimicrobial drugs are commonly used. We have all heard of antibiotics, which fight bacteria, but there are also antifungals, antivirals and antiparasitics that fight fungi, viruses and parasites, respectively. The more we use these drugs, the less effective they become and this problem is known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR). It means that microbes have developed … Read more
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) demands action and education by professionals and the public alike. This blog collates resources and materials for raising awareness that have been developed by UKHSA, Health Education England and partners. Treat Antibiotics Responsibly, Guidance, Education, Tools – the TARGET toolkit The TARGET Antibiotics Toolkit produced by UKHSA in collaboration with the Royal … Read more
The NCTC team in 1962 During World War I, British soldier Private Ernest Cable arrived unwell at a hospital in France. A sample of Shigella flexneri – the bacteria that causes dysentery – was taken from Private Cable, and this sample was the first and founding culture of what is now among the oldest ‘living … Read more
Last week world leaders arrived in Scotland for twelve days of talks on how to tackle the huge global impacts of climate change. For UKHSA, our changing climate is one of the most challenging health security threats we face and understanding and mitigating its impact on our health is a key priority. We continue to … Read more
Vaccines work. They have played a critical role in breaking the link between infection and severe outcomes, and we should express our gratitude to the scientists who developed life-saving vaccines against COVID-19 and to those who work tirelessly every day to roll out the vaccine programme at pace, across the country. In this blog I … Read more