'I'm not an alcoholic, I'm an Australian': Support for going sober in the bush

The Medeecal app increases healthcare access by providing a range of telehealth services including health education, free medical consultations, preventative care, referrals and follow-up care. As of March 2023, the app has over 1,000 registered patients and provides about eight consultations a day.

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.

Project CARA (Care that Advocates Respect/Resilience/Recovery for All) supports pregnant and parenting people with substance use disorders, providing healthcare, addiction resources and obstetrics care in one spot. The program's hub-and-spokes model makes care more accessible, especially for those in remote areas. Data from the Project also indicates that participants of the program are more likely to attend prenatal and postpartum appointments than those outside of the program.

The Mental Health Rebuilding and Restoring Initiative helps those struggling with drug addiction by showing them documentaries of others who have also struggled with addiction and how they managed to overcome it. The documentaries have since helped 50 people to stop using drugs. The Initiative also follows up with, monitors and encourages participants throughout their recovery journey.

In response to the severe lack of physicians, Shasta Community Health Center has increased telehealth services through its telemedicine center, which provides real-time video calls with physician specialists. This short-term solution helps patients get the care they need while lawmakers and work on long-term, financially viable solutions.

The Health Wagon provides medical care to those experiencing addiction. The Health Wagon also provides services for those in recovery, including medications, counseling, and peer support groups in an effort to reduce relapses and overdose deaths which have skyrocketed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sober spaces are free community hubs built around fitness, music, meals, and other activities, are emerging as a complement to traditional addiction treatment. Organizations like the Phoenix and the Recovery Café Network offer environments where people in recovery can rebuild social connections and daily routines without the focus being on addiction itself. The Phoenix reports 83% of new members remain sober after three months, and enrollment has grown with new member enrollments rising from roughly 20,000 to over 433,000 between 2020 and 2025.

Community health workers are stepping in to deliver essential healthcare services where conflict has destroyed local health facilities. These locally-trusted health workers conduct door-to-door visits to provide immunizations, screen children for malnutrition, refer emergency care and offer mental health support to those who need it, bridging gaps where traditional services can’t operate.

Traditional birth attendants provide maternal care to women in hard to reach areas. With government help through the Mama2Mama program, several TBAs are undergoing training to provide safer, more effective maternal care.

The Olympia Bupe Clinic's walk-in model for treating opioid addiction allows patients to receive medication-assisted treatment with buprenorphine on their first visit without barriers or extensive wait times. This low-barrier approach eliminates the hurdles people often face when seeking treatment. The Clinic also hires staff with lived experience with addiction to build trust and community with patients.