Local Organisations Invited to Drive Healthier Lifestyles Under ‘CARE’ Fund Initiative

Local organisations across Jamaica are being invited to lead efforts in promoting healthier lifestyles through the Government’s $500 million Community Arranged Response Efforts (CARE) Fund initiative, which seeks to prevent illness and strengthen public health at the grassroots level.

Speaking during a CARE Fund sensitisation session, held at the Montego Bay Cultural Centre in St. James on June 24, Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, emphasised that lasting improvements in the nation’s health will depend on stronger community engagement, complemented by continued investment in healthcare infrastructure.

“We have concluded that outside of building hospitals, health centres, giving more medication to cure illnesses, we also have to work harder to prevent illness. The way to prevent illness is to engage communities, engage families, and to influence those communities and families towards a more health-seeking behaviour, better lifestyle, better decisions, a better quality of life,” he said.

Dr. Tufton noted that over the past decade, the Government has made substantial strides in strengthening Jamaica’s healthcare system — from upgrading health centres and expanding hospital facilities to increasing staffing levels and improving access to essential medication.

However, he stressed that many of the nation’s most pressing health challenges are rooted, not in infrastructure gaps, but in lifestyle choices shaped within families and communities.

“A lot of the things that we have become afflicted by, in terms of sickness, are linked to the influences within our environment. So the foods that we eat, the alcohol that we consume in the format that we consume it, the addiction to social media, the other influences of that environment, really start within the place where we reside and, collectively, where we come together as a community,” Dr. Tufton pointed out.

Against this backdrop, the Minister explained that the CARE Fund is designed to empower community-based organisations, churches, service clubs, citizens’ associations, and other civic groups to champion positive health behaviours and advocate for healthier lifestyles within their communities.

“Because community-based organisations come from you, not from us, the extent to which you carry a message that you believe in, that you’re passionate about, is the extent to which we believe you can influence people who you interact with… who know you, who trust you, who will listen to you… so we want to empower you,” Dr. Tufton stated.

Meanwhile, Principal Director for Enabling Environment in Health and Client Services at the Ministry, Dr. Kimorley Humphrey, noted that the Fund is a key component of the Ministry’s broader CARE agenda.

He explained that it is intended to bridge the gap between national health policy and community-level action.

Dr. Humphrey noted that the initiative will provide support to civil society organisations in rolling out projects that tackle the social determinants of health — including nutrition, physical activity, mental well-being, family support systems, and community cohesion.

He further advised that approved projects will be financed through a performance-based disbursement model, ensuring both accountability and transparency in the use of funds.

The CARE Fund will support projects across 10 priority areas, including the impact of social media on child health, mental health and community support, substance misuse, healthy ageing, obesity prevention, responsible parenting and fertility, menopause and andropause education, period poverty, as well as training in home care for older persons and individuals living with disabilities.

Community-based organisations, faith-based groups, and registered civil society organisations are encouraged to apply for funding to implement projects that foster healthier behaviours and strengthen health outcomes within their communities.