About Making Life Better
Making Life Better 2012–2023 is Northern Ireland's whole-system strategic framework for public health.
It was developed to provide direction for policies and actions to improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities in Northern Ireland. It recognises that our health is influenced by a wide range of social, economic and environmental factors.
The framework promotes working across government, organisations, sectors and communities to create the conditions that enable people to achieve their full health and wellbeing potential.
In 2026, a thematic action plan was launched that provides a renewed focus for collaborative action to improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities across Northern Ireland.
The Making Life Better whole system framework and the thematic action plan are available to view at Making Life Better - Strategic Framework for Public Health | Department of Health.
Working together to improve health
The Public Health Agency (PHA) leads regional implementation of the Making Life Better approach. Partnership and collaboration are central to this work. PHA works across sectors to strengthen coordination, support action at regional and local level and help address the wider sectors that influence health and health inequalities.
Making Life Better Regional Network
The Making Life Better Regional Network brings together people and organisations from different sectors who share an interest in improving health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities.
The networks helps members to:
- share learning and and good practice
- make and strengthen connections
- work collaboratively across organisations and sectors
- support a connected, whole-system approach
- support action to improve health and wellbeing in communities across Northern Ireland.
Membership and meetings
Membership is open to people working in organisations that want to contribute to improving health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities. To get involved, email MLBNetwork@hscni.net.
The network meets annually at the MLB Regional Conference. News and updates are published in Making Life Better News.
Monitoring progress
Information on key Making Life Better indicators is available through the NISRA Data Portal website or at Making Life Better – Key indicators.
Making Life Better (MLB) news
Please find all the issues of Making Life Better News below:
- MLB Issue 14 - Autumn 2026
- MLB News Issue 13 - Spring/Summer 2026
- MLB News Issue 12 - Winter 2025
- MLB News Issue 11 - Autumn 2025
- MLB News Issue 9 - Spring 2025
- MLB News Issue 8 Winter 2024/25
- MLB News Issue 7 Autumn 2024
- MLB News Issue 6 Summer 2024
- MLB News Issue 5 Spring 2024
- MLB News Issue 4 Winter 2024/23
- MLB News Issue 3 Autumn 2023
- MLB News Issue 2 Winter 2019
- MLB News Issue 1 Summer 2019
Past Making Life Better events and resources
Making Life Better Seminar Series 2019/20
In keeping with the aim of the network to share learning, create and strengthen connections and showcase good practice, the PHA hosted the MLB Seminar Series for 2019/20. Working in partnership we arranged a number of seminars spanning many different topics.
The presentations given at these seminars are available to download below.
| Date | Topic | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 11 September 2019 - 10am -12.30pm | Making Life Better through a palliative care approach with the All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care | Chestnut Suite, Lagan Valley Island |
| 23 September 2019 - 10am-12.30pm | Giving every child the best start in life – what the research says part 1 | Seamus Heaney Homeplace, Bellaghy |
| 21 November 2019 - 10am-1pm | Recognising and supporting the multi-professional standards of those delivering on the Public Health Agenda | Craigavon Civic Centre |
| 10 December 2019 - 10am-2pm | Life Expectancy is Stalling with Public Health England and NHS Scotland | Riddell Hall, Stranmillis, Belfast |
| 12 February 2020 - 10am-1pm | Cross-border Healthcare Intervention Trials in Ireland Network (CHITIN) | Fermanagh House, Enniskillen |
| 4 March 2020 - 10am-1pm | Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life - What the Research says Part 2 | Malone House, Belfast |
| 24 April 2020 - 10am03pm | A Whole System Approach to Childhood Obesity | St Columb's Park House, ‘Derry |
Downloads
Making Life Better Regional Conference 2019
The Inaugural Making Life Better Regional Conference was held on 4 June 2019 in Craigavon Civic Centre. Chaired by William Crawley, the conference aimed to reach out to stakeholders from across all sectors and, through keynote speakers, deliver sessions based on the six key themes of MLB and to launch the Regional Making Life Better Network.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr Michael McBride, opened the conference and welcomed delegates to the inaugural conference and launch of the Regional Making Life Better Network. Dr McBride highlighted how the MLB Network is designed to help us come together as partners to work towards MLB’s vision of improved health and wellbeing through sharing learning and good practice, networking, and building and strengthening relationships across organisations and sectors. This can only be done together and by the registered attendance at the conference, it is clear that many share in this vision. Dr McBride encouraged delegates to engage in conversation, make new and strengthen existing connections and to commit to making life better for the populations we serve.
Main Stakeholders gather for Making Life Better conference | HSC Public Health Agency (hscni.net)
The MLB network aims to:
- Re-energise action to deliver on MLB and to share information and learning with the view of discussing how best to move forward through strengthened partnerships and collaborative approaches.
- Bring partners together to work towards a vision of improved health and wellbeing through sharing learning and good practice, networking, and building and strengthening relationships across organisations and sectors.
- Recognize the good work that has been done to date on the delivery of Making Life Better and to galvanise collective efforts for greater collaboration and better outcomes into the future
The morning continued with a keynote address from Prof Neil Gibson considering why health and wellbeing matters, the current situation in Northern Ireland and the particular challenges faced in Northern Ireland. Professor Gibson closed noting the need for more prevention and not cure; consideration of the potential transformation power of technology; and Northern Ireland is the perfect place to lead the way due to its manageable size, improving data and demonstrable public interest. Parallel sessions around each of the 6 themes of Making Life Better were held throughout the day as detailed in the table below.
The afternoon session began with a keynote address from David Finch, The Health Foundation, who considered health as an asset. Mr Finch discussed the current context for health and inequalities across the UK, the need for a focus on prevention and health creation, the economic value of health and then how we can reframe the conversations we have about health through the language we use.
Following the afternoon parallel sessions, delegates came together for a Q&A panel to consider our next steps. The panel included:
- Dr Naresh Chada, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health
- Professor Neil Gibson, Chief Economist, EY
- Dave Finch, Senior Fellow, Healthy Lives Team, The Health Foundation
- Dr Adrian Mairs, Director of Public Health (interim), The Public Health Agency
- Caroline Gillan, Head of Programme for Government, The Executive Office
Dr Adrian Mairs, Director of Public Health (interim), Public Health Agency, closed the conference noting both the interesting discussions started at the conference and also the challenges set to all of us working to improve health and wellbeing and what our next steps and considerations need to be. Dr Mairs noted the aim of the conference and of the Network, to bring stakeholders together, to re-energise action and to share information and learning with the view of discussing how best to move forward through strengthened partnerships and collaborative approaches. To help drive this, Dr Mairs committed, if there is willing, to making the MLB Conference an annual event and also announced the first MLB Seminar Series which will take place in autumn/winter 2019/20. Dr Mairs closed the conference thanking the keynote speakers, session speakers and organisers.
Downloads