Heroin and opiate abuse appears to be on the rise in Wareham and throughout the Commonwealth, but a new public health collaboration may help alleviate the problem.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health awarded New Bedford’s Health Department $550,000 to launch the Opioid Prevention Coalition-South Coast.

The coalition includes health officials from Wareham, New Bedford, Dartmouth, Marion and Rochester.

The coalition is tasked with reducing deaths and hospital visits related to opioid misuse, addiction and overdoses. According to the Department of Health, fatal opioid overdoses increased 90 percent in Massachusetts from 2000 to 2012. There were 28 opiate-related deaths in Wareham during that same time period.

Last March, former Gov. Deval Patrick declared a public health emergency after a three-month period that saw more than 180 opiate-related deaths.

Kathy Downey, of the Marion/Rochester Health District, said her department is aware that opioids, such as painkillers and heroin, are more prevalent.

“The problem has increased in both communities,” said Downey, the district’s public health nurse. “We recognize it’s going to get worse.”

New Bedford’s grant is part of $1.8 million cities and towns received across the state to develop similar coalitions.

Downey said the collaboration is more important than the money.

"The more we talk, the greater strength we have,” she said.