The End is in Sight is Sightsavers’ campaign to eliminate blinding trachoma in countries where it is still a public health problem. Our aim is to eliminate this disease in most of the countries where we work.
Trachoma has devastated the world’s poorest communities since the earliest records, and worldwide there are currently about 1.9 million people who are blind or visually impaired because of it. Our campaign asks people to help us make the ambition of ending this avoidable disease a reality.
A huge amount has been achieved so far: the number of people at risk of trachoma has fallen by 92% since 2002 (WHO, August 2022). However, there is still a great deal of work to do.
Sightsavers is working in more than 30 countries across Africa and Asia to eliminate trachoma. Will you help us beat it?
Our short film uses the real stories of people living with blinding trachoma: hear our contributors bring their words to life.
Watch the filmBut the longer they go without treatment, the more damage trachoma can cause. And it takes more than their sight. The agony and disability of trachoma can stop people earning a living and prevent children going to school, leaving them trapped in a cycle of poverty.
It takes their independence. Their education. Even their future.
Through years of hard work, we’ve weakened trachoma’s grip and have beaten it in countries such as Ghana, The Gambia and Malawi. Now we have a chance to make history.
Our plan is to eliminate the disease in most of the countries where we work. Will you help us achieve this?
Now in its sixth year, the Accelerate programme has already delivered 53 million treatments to protect people from trachoma, and managed 91,000 advanced cases of the disease.
The extra funding from international donors will help speed up the elimination of trachoma in Africa by expanding and extending the programme.
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has awarded Sightsavers a grant of US$2.19 million to help fight the disease.