Alleviating the plights of diabetes patients with free drugs and medical checks

The Lifesaving Intervention Project offers postnatal services to mothers and newborns via community health workers who are trained in maternal and child health. After giving birth, the women receive follow-up care over the phone and through home visits and are referred to health facilities when additional care is needed. The support services have increased the percent of women getting post-natal care and have improved postpartum mental health. The health workers also provide information about the health benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, delivering in facilities, and birth control to space out children.

Awareness is growing that community health workers (CHWs) are an effective way to address social determinants of health and reduce health inequities. The success of CHWs is due to the fact that they share life experiences with their patients and their ability to build trust. For example, the cadre of CHWs working in rural and urban Appalachia go into their patients’ homes to provide fundamental care – like monitoring vital signs and blood sugar -- and discuss quality-of-life issues – like nutrition and exercise. Being in the home allows them to gain insight that doctors in an office don’t have access to.

The Taimaka Outpatient Clinic operates a community-based malnutrition treatment model that brings severe acute malnutrition care closer to families. Since 2019, Taimaka has treated over 12,000 children and currently cares for more than 10,000 children annually.

Helpster Charity operates a tech-enabled emergency financing model that connects families facing urgent medical bills with donors through a website and app. The nonprofit uses volunteers stationed at partner health facilities to identify patients who can’t afford critical care for conditions like malaria, sickle cell anemia, and kidney problems. The organization has helped provide treatment for over 2,000 families across Nigeria, Kenya and Bangladesh.

Nepal has built one of South Asia's most successful eye care systems through a community-driven model spearheaded by the Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh (NNJS). Rather than relying on government funding, Nepal leveraged NGO partnerships, community donations, and deliberate human resource development to expand access to affordable eye care. In 2024 alone, over 3.2 million people received treatment at NNJS-affiliated hospitals.

In 2025, Bauchi State launched the Impact Project to address Nigeria's maternal health crisis by deploying 100 Skilled Birth Attendants across 20 Local Government Areas, alongside free delivery kits and regular salary payments to increase access to professional childbirth care.

A mobile diabetes clinic in Calgary brings comprehensive healthcare directly to people experiencing homelessness or low income at community health centers. The team provides services including foot care, retinal scans, blood and urine screening with immediate results, dietary counseling, and connections to housing and mental health programs. The "one-stop-shop" model eliminates the need for patients to travel to multiple appointments, ensuring they get the care they need.

Local organizations are working with the Department of Health and UNICEF to eradicate polio in Taraba state. By collaborating with community leaders, they’ve been able to spread positive information about polio vaccines, encouraging more families to vaccinate their children.

The Mamacare Foundation has trained over 860 traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in hygiene, safe delivery practices, danger-sign recognition, and timely referral systems over the past decade to improve maternal care in the region. The program pairs each TBA with a supervising midwife, creating a collaborative bridge between traditional and modern maternal care. The training has increased referrals from TBAs to clinics by 40%, and district hospitals report fewer emergency cases arriving in critical condition since the Foundation has formed.

Rwanda has implemented a comprehensive, community-driven cervical cancer prevention program combining door-to-door screening campaigns, free HPV vaccination, and health insurance reforms to cover cancer treatment. Since the initiaives launched, six districts have achieved the World Health Organization’s elimination targets, putting Rwanda on track to become the first African country to eliminate cervical cancer by 2027.