Our Healthbox Brings Free Testing, Health, and Wellness Supplies to Piikani Nation

A transformative step toward accessible healthcare has arrived in southern Alberta: Our Healthbox has officially launched at Piikani Nation, providing free access to HIV self-tests, naloxone kits, harm reduction supplies, and essential wellness products.

Located at the Piikani Health Hub and supported by Aakom-Kiyii Health Services (AKHS), the Healthbox offers a low-barrier, judgment-free pathway to health. AKHS, which provides holistic community health and home care services, is integrating this innovative tool into its mission of disease prevention, health promotion, and culturally rooted care.

“This Healthbox is a doorway to safety, dignity, and care for our community,” said Lan Ngo, community health nurse with AKHS.

“By offering essential supplies without judgment, it gives our people another way to protect their health and support one another.”

Developed by Dr. Sean B. Rourke, Director of REACH Nexus at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Our Healthbox is an interactive, touchscreen-equipped kiosk that empowers individuals to take charge of their health. It provides anonymous, cost-free access to:

• HIV self-test kits to “know your status”

• Naloxone kits to reverse opioid overdoses

• Harm reduction and wellness supplies tailored to the needs of each community, including hygiene items, menstrual products, and basic toiletries

Each Healthbox also features vital health information and a directory of local support services, reducing stigma and eliminating barriers to care so that people can access what they need, when they need it.

Since its debut in 2023, Our Healthbox has expanded across Canada, with 17 units serving communities in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and New Brunswick. Additional launches are planned for Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and the Northwest Territories. The Piikani Healthbox follows Alberta’s first location in Siksika First Nation (September 2024), continuing a nationwide effort to make healthcare accessible for Indigenous and marginalized populations.

The Akaa Piikani, part of the Blackfoot People along with Kainaiwa, Siksikawa, and Piikaniwa, have called this territory home since time immemorial. Their history and traditions inspire community-led approaches to health, making this launch a powerful example of innovation rooted in respect and collaboration.

“Our Healthbox is about making healthcare truly accessible—meeting people where they are, on their own terms. Launching here in Piikani Nation shows how innovation and community leadership together can break down barriers and save lives,” said Dr. Rourke.

Equipped with real-time analytics, the Healthboxes track usage, maintain supply availability, and inform rapid, evidence-based public health responses. To date, the initiative has reached over 13,000 people, distributing more than 70,000 health and harm reduction supplies, including 3,100+ naloxone kits and 1,500 HIV self-test kits.

Our Healthbox demonstrates how innovative technology and community-driven care can reduce stigma, expand access, and empower people to protect their health—proving that when healthcare meets people where they are, lives can truly be transformed.

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