Whanganui District Health Board director of nursing and falls prevention expert Sandy Blake says she can't impress enough how important it is for older people to remain active.

It's now easier for smokers in the Whanganui District to find out just how healthy - or unhealthy - their lungs are, thanks to more pharmacy staff in the region being trained in how to use specialised breath-testing devices.

Community groups are pulling together during next month's school holidays to run four Spring Whānau Fun Days, in an effort to get pre-schoolers along for oral health checks.

For the fourth year in a row, senior doctors are leading by example in the Whanganui District Health Board's (WDHB) push for staff to have flu vaccinations.

Whanganui District Health Board is celebrating Māori Language Week with the announcement that its Community Mental Health and Addictions Service building has been renamed Te Kōpae meaning 'the nest'.

Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) dietitians Emma Carran and Micaela Makker are using Malnutrition Awareness Week (24-28 September) to raise awareness about the risk of malnutrition amongst older adults who are admitted to Whanganui Hospital and remind us all how important it is to eat enough and ensure we have access to a nutritious diet.

Giving a voice to the voiceless is what's driving Whanganui District Health Board health promotion officer Chester Penaflor to get out and about in the Whanganui region over the next month to raise awareness about the risks of drinking while pregnant.

This month is Breathe Better September, which the Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) is getting behind to raise awareness of respiratory conditions in Aotearoa.

Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) staff are so eager to learn Te Reo Māori, demand has led to booked-out courses and staff 'lining up' to attend.

Five Whanganui Girls' College students, their principal Tania King and Gabby's Starlit Hope trustee Jessica Devane have gifted 48 Boredom Buster packs for children admitted to, or waiting in, Whanganui District Health Board's Emergency Department (ED).

On Friday 17 August, Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) staff will celebrate the 80th anniversary of Newcombe Ward which was officially opened on 18 August 1938 by Wanganui Hospital board chairman Mr W.E. Broderick.

Whanganui Hospital's Maternity and Children's Wards are encouraging patients, family members, visitors and ward staff to choose water as their preferred drink and to support 'Water is Best' - both in the hospital and at home.

Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) is showing its support for this year's FAST Stroke campaign (launched Sunday 22 July) by doing all it can to promote the campaign's new message: Take action - call 111. For the last two years, FAST has stood for Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 111, but this year, Time has been replaced with Take action - call 111. It's important to note that any one of the three conditions (Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty) can indicate that a stroke is occurring.

Throughout July, Whanganui District Health Board is running a DrinkCheck Month campaign to remind Whanganui residents about appropriate alcohol use and how people can empower themselves to make informed choices for better health.

Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) has confirmed its contingency planning is in place for the 24-hour nurses' strike, from 7am Thursday 12 July, says WDHB Allied Health director Kim Fry.

While Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) recognises that winter illnesses can be very unpleasant, health promotion officer Chester Penaflor says feeling unwell doesn't always require a visit to the doctor.

A three-year effort by Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) to reduce wait times for young people accessing its Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Addiction Services (ICAMHAS) has paid off.

The 'Where should I be?' campaign is designed to provide members of the public in the Whanganui region with information about when and where to go for health care and advice. It's all about helping people to get the most appropriate health care for the illness or injury they are experiencing at the right place....first time.

Whanganui District Health Board's (WDHB) contingency planning for a 24-hour nurses' strike, starting 7am on Thursday 5 July, is well advanced says WDHB Allied Health director Kim Fry.

Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) tobacco control and mental health health promoter Sarah Hawken will be at the Quit Clinic showing her support for the Whanganui Stop Smoking Service's World Smokefree Day Open Day this Thursday.

The recently introduced Kaupapa Maori Drug Treatment Programme called Te Tirohanga, at Whanganui Prison is a great example of what can be achieved when multiple agencies pull together says Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) Mental Health and Addictions Service nurse manager Katheryn Butters.

To mark World Hand Hygiene Day on Saturday 5 May, the Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) is encouraging the public to think again about how they wash their hands.

Aware that Whanganui has an ever-growing population of older residents, Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) is encouraging those residents and their families to tap into the wealth of information and resources available and to not hesitate to ask for help when needed.

Thanks to Whanganui Freemasons, children aged two to seven admitted to Whanganui District Health Board's (WDHB) Emergency Department (ED) will receive a Teddy Bear to help relax them during their treatment.

The Wanganui Eye and Medical Care Trust had great pleasure this week handing over to the Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) a new CT scanner for the Radiology Department and a YAG laser for the Ophthalmology Department, which together are valued at $1 million.

Whanganui district midwives and lead maternity carers are planning a party to celebrate International Day of the Midwife on Saturday 5 May.

Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) is encouraging Whanganui residents, including staff and visitors to Whanganui Hospital, to wear pink shirts on Friday 18 May in support of the Mental Health Foundation's Pink Shirt Day.

Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) has appointed two permanent full-time ophthalmologists - Dr Arvind Gupta who took up his role in mid-March, and Dr Brenda Mulenga who is expected to arrive from the UK within the next two months.

As April Falls Month draws to a close, Whanganui District Health Board's (WDHB) Falls Prevention Team encourages anyone who has fallen or is prone to falling, to ask for advice and support.

Immunisation Week (30 April - 6 May) is the perfect time for people to pause and think about how important immunisation is for their health, and for that of their whanau. It needs to be a lifelong commitment from 'cradle to the grave' says Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) chief medical officer Frank Rawlinson.