Youth and adolescent corners transform lives in Otuke, but donor exit sparks fears for the future

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.

Self-Cav is an AI chatbot that provides judgment-free, 24/7 information to young South Africans about HIV prevention, sexual health, and mental health via WhatsApp, allowing them to connect to real healthcare workers when needed. The chatbot is specifically designed to create demand for the HIV prevention medication PrEP among young women. Nearly 10,000 young people have used the chatbot platform, and 25% have been successfully linked to clinics or healthcare workers for PrEP, HIV testing, contraceptives, or mental health support.

New Jersey’s Mobile Response and Stabilization Services help support youth in crisis by connecting them with a mental health professional to avoid unnecessary emergency room visits or police calls. New Jersey’s system has been an inspiration to other states looking to implement similar services, and it served over 32,000 youth in 2023 alone.

Promotora de salud, or community health workers with the Abortion Justice Committee of New Jersey, help Latinx immigrants navigate and access reproductive healthcare. In a community survey, 42% of respondents said they struggled to access and understand reproductive health services, so the promotoras model helps share information with those who struggle to access it, advocates for expanding language access, and combats misinformation.

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.

Clinica Amistad is a free, volunteer-driven primary care clinic addressing the healthcare access gap for uninsured and underinsured residents, particularly among the Hispanic/Latine community. Operating on $600,000 or less per year, the clinic offers a wide range of services, including chronic disease management, behavioral health counseling, and a Spanish-language pre-diabetes education program. In 2024, the clinic served 956 patients across nearly 2,500 visits, with patient volume growing 10% since 2017.

In Kern County, where pregnancy-related mortality rates are more than double the California average and Black mothers face life-threatening complications at nearly three times the rate of white women, community doulas are working to bridge the gap between patients and the medical system. Since California expanded Medi-Cal coverage to include doula services in January 2023, more than 1,400 doulas have enrolled statewide, with active training pipelines building the workforce locally.

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.

Clinica Sierra Vista's Health Insurance Assistance Program helps uninsured and underinsured patients, many of them undocumented immigrants, navigate Medi-Cal enrollment and renewal, Covered California marketplace plans and the clinic's own sliding-fee scale program. In 2025, the program assisted 33,680 Kern County residents.

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.