Health Ministry launches $500m CARE Fund for community health projects

The Ministry of Health and Wellness has officially launched the Community Arranged Response Efforts Fund, known as the CARE Fund, with $500 million set aside to support community-driven health and wellness projects across Jamaica.

The programme, announced during Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton's sectoral presentation, is now open for proposals from eligible organisations, including community-based groups, faith-based bodies, non-governmental organisations and civil society groups.

Dr Kimali Humphrey, principal director for enabling environment in health and client services, said the fund is intended to back practical initiatives that improve well-being outside the formal hospital and clinic system. She said health is shaped in homes, schools, workplaces, churches and communities, and that lasting improvement requires partnerships with groups closest to local needs.

The ministry said the CARE Fund will support work linked to prevention, healthier lifestyles, mental and physical wellness, vulnerable populations and stronger, more resilient communities.

Registrar Errol Gilmore of the Department of Cooperatives and Friendly Societies said his agency will help organisations strengthen governance, compliance and accountability. He also said a special registration window will be created to speed up processing for groups seeking to take part in the fund.

Tufton stressed that the allocation is public money and not a giveaway. He said recipients will be required to account for how funds are used, with transparency and proper documentation central to the programme.

The minister said the initiative forms part of a wider effort to address the social factors that affect health, including family support, ageing, unpaid caregiving, chronic illnesses, mental wellness, social media exposure among young people, period poverty and healthier lifestyles.

Applications are being accepted through the ministry's CARE Fund web portal. Applicants must provide organisational details, project timelines, parish and community information, target groups, budgets, risk management plans, sustainability plans and supporting documents. The deadline announced at the launch is Friday, July 31, 2026.