DONATE

Sightsavers rated a top charity by GiveWell for the fourth time

November 2019
GiveWell has praised Sightsavers’ work to treat children for intestinal worms, such as this project in Guinea-Bissau.

Charity evaluator GiveWell has once again named Sightsavers one of its top charities for its work to treat intestinal worms.

GiveWell is a non-profit group that rates the effectiveness of global charities each year and promotes them to donors. The criteria focus on impact, cost-effectiveness and transparency.

Sightsavers has been rated for its work tackling parasitic worm infections in children, a process known as deworming. With treatment, infections such as schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helmiths can be treated and prevented effectively. GiveWell has judged Sightsavers’ deworming work an outstanding opportunity for donors to make a difference with their contributions.

Ndellejong Cosmas Ejong, Sightsavers technical advisor for schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths, said: These diseases are highly infectious and, if left untreated, can become debilitating. They can be particularly detrimental to children’s development, affecting their health and their ability to concentrate and do well at school. By working with local partners and in schools, we can make sure that children living in endemic areas have access to treatment.”

A high proportion of those affected are school-age children. Schistosomiasis can cause stomach problems and affect physical development, preventing a child from going to school. Soil-transmitted helmiths (intestinal worms) affect more than 1.5 billion people worldwide, mainly those from isolated communities. Yet these infections are treatable.

Sightsavers CEO Dr Caroline Harper said: “GiveWell’s assessment is rigorous, so we are proud to be one of its top charities for the fourth year. More than 4.5 million children have already received treatment as a result of GiveWell’s funding, and with its continued support, our deworming work can reach even more children.”

A schoolgirl holds a tablet in her hand and smiles.

Sightsavers and GiveWell

GiveWell’s support has helped us to treat more than 4.5 million children for intestinal worms in countries including Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria.

About the partnership

Read all our latest news stories

News from Sightsavers
Eye care staff perform trachoma surveys on children in Cote D'Ivoire.
sightsavers_news

Sightsavers and RSTMH host learning event on large-scale trachoma programmes

The online event will share key findings on eliminating trachoma from a new collection of research papers published in the International Health journal.

December 2023
A child in Kenya has his eyes checked by an eye health worker wearing gloves and a mask. They're outside in a village with dusty red sand on the ground.
sightsavers_news

Sightsavers pledges US$60 million to help beat neglected tropical diseases

The funding will be used for programmes that protect people from the harmful effects of trachoma, river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis and intestinal worms.

December 2023
A boy wearing a bright blue shirt washes his face using water from a tap.
sightsavers_news

Sightsavers research project aims to map the impact of climate change on NTDs

Led by Sightsavers and the Walker Institute, the project will work with the Malawian government to explore a range of future scenarios, and what these would mean for its efforts to curb NTDs.

November 2023

Learn about our work to save sight