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Health4Life Fund

Health4Life Fund (the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund to Catalyze Country Action for Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health) has been established to galvanize domestic financing and scale up country action for the prevention and control of NCDs and for improving mental health.

The Fund supports governments, the UN development system and other partners to work together towards common NCD and mental health results, in a way that responds to the global, regional and country level commitments on NCDs and mental health.

The Fund was established by UNDP, UNICEF and WHO – three members of the NCD Task Force. The Fund is based on established financing-for-development and aid- & development-effectiveness principles.

The 2025 political declaration on NCDs and mental health called upon ‘UN agencies, regional and intergovernmental organizations, within their respective mandates, to support Member States through catalytic development assistance, including through the Task Force and the Health4Life Fund’.

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24 May 2021

Memorandum of Understanding
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In 2025, WHO published its first ever strategy on multi-partner trust funds (MPTFs) and joint programs (collectively known as inter-agency pooled funds). WHO currently hosts three MPTFs, including the Health4Life Fund.

Inter-agency pooled funds provide significant opportunities for WHO to work with partners by maximizing efficiencies and impact on health and development. MPTFs and Joint Programs are especially important for driving forward multisectoral action, which is critical in reaching many of the targets of the health SDGs. Inter-agency pooled funds are an important part of the UN reform process, improving collaboration and reducing programmatic fragmentation across humanitarian, peace and security, and sustainable development.

2 March 2025

Multi-partner Trust Funds and Joint Programs
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Steering Committee

Health4Life Fund is governed by a Steering Committee consisting of UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office  and the governments of Kenya, Thailand and Uruguay. The Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office is an ex-officio member of the Steering Committee, serving as the administrative interface between investors and the Steering Committee. The NCD Alliance and United for Global Mental Health represent civil society on the Steering Committee. Day-to-day activities are managed by the Health4Life Fund Secretariat and senior staff from UNDP, UNICEF and WHO.

 

News

Soroptimist partnership announced in Dublin

Mar 10, 2026, 09:15 by User Not Found

Mobilizing women across Africa for the elimination of cervical cancer  

Health4Life Fund has announced a long-term partnership with the Africa Federation of Soroptimist International, a global grassroots women’s organization, to advocate, raise awareness, and mobilize funds to eliminate cervical cancer across Africa. Last month, some 1,700 Soroptimists from the organization’s five federations gathered in Dublin, Ireland where they had the opportunity to hear more about this exciting collaboration. Members from all continents shared personal and often very poignant stories highlighting a common desire to put an end to cervical cancer.

UNFPA and the Health4Life Secretariat both spoke at the event to highlight the need for urgent action on cervical cancer and the important role Soroptimists can play. The workshops served to rally women across the worldwide Soroptimist network to raise funds for joint action in Africa and promote the importance of vaccination, regular screening, and early treatment everywhere. The partnership, in support of country-level joint action toward the 90/70/90 goals of the WHO cervical cancer elimination strategy, aims to put women and adolescent girls at the heart of this fight and make this invisible disease increasingly visible.  

Photo caption: Connie Mutunhu, Immediate Past President, Soroptimist International Africa Federation (SIAF) opens the second workshop session on 28 July 2023 during the quadrennial Soroptimist International Convention in Dublin. Seated (L to R):  Linda Merieau, Health4Life Fund Partnerships Lead; Jalila Moufqia, President, SIAF; Petra tenhoope-Bender, Technical Adviser Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, UNFPA.

For further information contact HUBBARD MERIEAU, Linda Lee