What Germany's Coal Miners Can Teach America About Medical Debt

After two years of activity, the National Vaccination Program against Human Papillomavirus (HPV)  reached over 90% vaccination coverage. Following the success of the vaccination program, a low-cost screening program was launched. With more vaccinations and screening for early detection, 2,575 HPV vaccines were administered, 62,468 women and girls were screened, 5,563 people were treated for pre-cancerous lesions and 1230 cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed in 2021.

The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Center of Excellence — which recently received an increase in funding — works to connect families with education and resources regarding fetal alcohol syndrome disorder (FASD). The funding is intended to address the backlog of families in need of a formal FASD diagnosis.

Since June 2024, Nigeria's National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has implemented a comprehensive fistula intervention program that fully covers transportation, surgery, feeding, post-operative care and follow-up services at no cost to patients. In Kano State alone, 2,157 women have received treatment through the intervention, with facilities handling 30-50 patients monthly, a significant increase from pre-program levels.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and individual states started passing strict abortion bans, groups like Aid Access, Hey Jane and Just the Pill began mailing abortion medications to women in states with bans. Six months after the Supreme Court decision, researchers saw an increase in women getting abortion medication outside of traditional healthcare settings. Aid Access alone reports mailing about 10,000 pills a month.

A pair of doctors are working to make healthcare more accessible and affordable by training area hospitals to use new technology, like ultrasound devices, to detect non-communicable diseases. Through their newly established non-communicable disease clinic staffed with personnel trained to provide more precise medical care, about 1,100 patients have been cared for.

Drug Aid Africa sources unused, unaltered drugs from people who don’t need them anymore and distributes them to people who do need them but can’t afford or access them. Drug Aid Africa provides free routine medications for conditions like sickle-cell anemia, as well as antimalarials, antibiotics and frequent visits to communities where they provide healthcare support and supplies. So far, the organization's efforts have helped more than 10,000 people.

The Festus Fajemilo Foundation teaches parents how to care for children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus and helps fund treatment and surgery costs for families who can’t afford it. The foundation connects with parents through social media, radio, TV, and public lectures like its annual “Go-Folic” campaign which encourages women on the importance of folic acid and has reached 10,000 people so far.

The Abortion Without Borders (AWB) network is a grassroots organization that helps people from restrictive countries access safe abortions in countries that legally provide them. From December 2020 to December 2021, AWB has helped 32,000 people from Poland access abortions across Europe – an almost six-fold increase from the previous year.

To help address rising death rates caused by malaria, the Society for Family Health distributes insecticide nets to residents in rural communities for free and educates them on the importance of using them to protect against malaria-causing mosquito bites. The group has distributed 122.5 million nets between 2009 and 2021 and also provides diagnostic testing for malaria and advocates for more investing from government officials to address the disease.

The Maternal and Neonatal Emergency Transport Scheme helps to increase access to healthcare services for women and newborns in rural areas through its informal transport/ambulance service. There are currently 2,500 registered drivers with the program willing to transport those in need of care and they serve about 70-90 women in labor each month.