Funded by the Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust, initiative supports 18 rural community coalitions ATLANTA , Jan. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Federal data shows overdose deaths have been declining nationally for more than two years. In Georgia, however, the decline is lower than the national decline and data from the Georgia Department of Public Health indicates that over the past five years, roughly one in five overdose deaths in the state occurred in rural counties. This development underscores the disproportionate impact of the overdose crisis in communities with fewer prevention, treatment and recovery resources. To help address these gaps, the CDC Foundation announced today a new initiative focused on strengthening overdose prevention efforts in rural communities across Georgia. The CDC Foundation, funded by the Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust, is working with 18 community coalitions across rural Georgia to strengthen community-based responses. This effort builds on the CDC Foundation’s proven history supporting the Overdose Response Strategy (ORS), a national model that brings public health and public safety partners together to share data, deliver evidence-based inter
