Our blog

Scotland qualifying for the 2026 World Cup highlights the impact of long-term teamwork, planning and shared ambition. In this blog, Dr Rishma Maini, Consultant in Public Health at Public Health Scotland (PHS), uses football as a metaphor to illustrate how improving health requires coordinated effort across the whole system, with everyone playing a role in helping people live healthier, more fulfilling lives.

The challenge of measuring smoking related diseases and deaths can be complex. Craig Collins, Service Manager, Health Harms Intelligence, explains the reason behind the change in measuring smoking harms.

May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, and Dr Selene Huntley, Advanced Healthcare Scientist at Public Health Scotland, explains the best ways to prevent tick bites, top tips to remove them correctly, and the symptoms of Lyme disease to look out for.

In this blog, Sarra Naylor, Information Manager & National Drug-related Death Data Coordinator at Public Health Scotland (PHS), outlines how a new data-processing system, Databelt, is transforming the way suspected drug-related deaths (sDRDs) are identified, shared and used to support national and local responses.

Spending time outdoors is great for our physical and mental health. Professor Dominic Mellor, Consultant in Veterinary Public Health at Public Health Scotland, shares some top tips on how to keep well while exploring the outdoors this spring.

A clear guide to the vaccines offered from age 65 in Scotland, including flu, pneumococcal, shingles, COVID‑19 and RSV. Learn what’s offered and when.

This year, World Obesity Day highlights that obesity is a global issue, exploring the scale of the challenge and the opportunities to create healthier, fairer systems for everyone. Claire Hislop, Organisational Lead, Food and Physical Activity, reflects on our recent Improving Diet and Healthy Weight conference and the power of partnership it demonstrated.

In our latest blog, we’re shining a spotlight on HPV Awareness Day and the importance of protecting everyone from HPV‑related diseases. With insights from Dr Kirsty Roy and the Throat Cancer Foundation, we explore what HPV is, why prevention matters and what more can be done to ensure equal access to life‑saving vaccination and screening. Read on to learn how we can work together to reduce preventable cancers and create a healthier future for all.

Dr Karen Conduit-Turner, Public Health Registrar at NHS Tayside joined Public Health Scotland (PHS) for 10 months to work with the Public Health and Sustainable Transport Partnership. Here, she reflects on the importance of bus services for health in local communities.

In our latest blog, Dr Fatim Lakha, Consultant in Public Health Medicine and Dr Grant Wyper, Principal Epidemiologist at Public Health Scotland (PHS) reflect on the latest healthy life expectancy statistics published by the National Records of Scotland (NRS). They explain what the figures mean for Scotland, offer insight into why progress has stalled, and outline how PHS will work with partners to realise the vision of our new 10-year strategy.