Doctor missionaries and long tale of leprosy in Nigeria

Led by a local doctor and supported by Pfizer's Accord initiative and other partners, Rwanda launched a one-month training fellowship to train local doctors with specialized rheumatology skills. Since its implementation in February 2024, more than 1,800 patients have received rheumatological care, many for the first time in their lives.

Anambra State’s telemedicine program is closing the healthcare access gap in rural communities, making universal health coverage more possible. The program began in 2022 and has since hired and trained 42 doctors in providing remote healthcare. As more people use the telemedicine program, public trust in primary healthcare across the region is increasing.

DEAN Initiative's Youth Health Access Initiative addresses healthcare misconceptions among young people through targeted community outreach, educational workshops in local languages, and training programs for healthcare workers. The initiative specifically addresses myths that Primary Healthcare Centers are only for pregnant women and children, and that health insurance is only for the sick, helping to increase healthcare accessibility.

The Anambra state government’s Antenatal and Delivery Program mandates government-owned hospitals and Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) to offer free antenatal care and delivery services, to close the gap in care and curb maternal mortality rates. The program has helped strengthen the maternal care capacity at 329 PHCs throughout the state and has served over 60,000 women.

RestoringVision addresses the global shortage of reading glasses by tackling supply and demand challenges. On the demand side, they partner with local NGOs and governments to provide vision screenings and free initial glasses, particularly for those in regions who either don’t know reading glasses are an option or don’t realize they’re losing their vision. On the supply side, they work to build retail networks and educate employers about productivity benefits, as workers receiving glasses show productivity increases up to 32%.

With its focus on research and the launch of the Safer Baby Bundle, Australia is ahead of the curve in preventing stillbirths. The Safer Baby Bundle includes evidence-based practices to prevent stillbirths including helping pregnant patients quit smoking, regularly monitoring fetal growth and movement and encouraging safe pregnancy practices like sleeping on one’s side. Since the launch of these strategies, the country sees about six stillbirths a day, whereas the U.S. experiences about 60 stillbirths each day.

The Boresha afya ya mama na mtoto (improve the health of mother and child) program works to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates by connecting mothers with community health volunteers. These volunteers provide important education on topics like antenatal care and also help to increase access to immunization services. When the group formed in 2018, 531 women died during childbirth or pregnancy, but as of 2023, that number has dropped to 344 thanks to the program’s initiatives.

The Carter Center, in collaboration with other organizations, launched a project to curb several neglected tropical diseases like river blindness. The Center and its partners provide health education through monthly visits from medical personnel to rural communities that are often most affected by these diseases and administer the necessary medication to fight the illnesses. Over the course of more than 20 years, the Center has delivered 27 million doses of disease-fighting medicine.

Care Ring, in collaboration with other organizations like the University of North Carolina School of Nursing, launched The Bridge, a community-based healthcare initiative that aims to make preventive care easier to access. The Bridge features a mobile care unit that provides free health screenings, counseling support and connections to community resources. Since December 2022, The Bridge has provided care to more than 100 people, 39% of which didn’t have a regular doctor.

The Gender Diverse Care Coalition of New Hampshire works to expand access to gender-affirming care through free training, consultations with providers, education and advocacy work. The Coalition also has a website that offers a database of resources on gender-affirming care in the state and surrounding area. Through its offerings, the Coalition is working to increase the number of providers in the state who are comfortable and capable of providing care to transgender patients.