How tech aids fight against TB in Rwanda

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.

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.

Ekiti State, Nigeria, implemented a coordinated three-pronged approach that reduced neonatal, infant, and under-five mortality rates by more than 50% over five years, saving approximately 45,000 children's lives. The response combined strengthening the medical supply chain, increasing demand for care by engaging with community leaders and holding weekly meetings with health system stakeholders.

Drop-in Centers (DiCEs) in Kenya provide specialized, stigma-free healthcare to marginalized populations at high risk for HIV. These centers offer one-stop HIV testing, treatment, counseling and other health services. DiCEs operate with flexible hours, specially-trained staff, and a peer-to-peer outreach model designed to reach people who face barriers accessing mainstream healthcare due to criminalization, discrimination and violence.

The Care Now Clinic, established by Behavioral Healthcare Partners of Central Ohio, offers early crisis intervention services for those ages 12 and up, helping bridge the care gap between emergency rooms and waiting to see a physician. The group also recently launched a mobile crisis unit to even further expand access to care. Research shows these models cost less, reduce emergency room visits and make handling chronic conditions more manageable.

The G.R.O.W. syringe service program (SSPs) helps people who use drugs and those who need injection supplies for gender-affirming hormone therapy get access to clean syringes and safely dispose of needles. Community-based programs like G.R.O.W. also offer first-aid kits, at-home HIV tests, Narcan and personal care items. There are currently 13 SSPs registered in the state. In 2023, G.R.O.W. alone distributed more than 44,400 syringes and collected about 37,700.

Providing access to international networks of expertise can improve the quality of healthcare available to those living in rural and remote areas. Project ECHO, an initiative based in New Mexico, has partnered with the Namibian Ministry of Health and Social Services to provide rural health care workers, doctors, and nurses with video-teleconferences with HIV specialists. The program helps to bridge knowledge gaps by providing access to an international network of specialists and resources for continuous leaning.