Sightsavers eye surgeon Samson Lokele featured in an online video, radio programme and TV show from BBC Africa, shared on the first-ever World Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) day on 30 January 2020.
The first World NTD Day celebrates the progress made in recent years to tackle these debilitating diseases, and marks the beginning of a decisive year which promises to be one where great progress is made.
The film follows 12-year-old James from Kenya, who has gone blind in one eye from trachoma, an infectious eye disease that spreads easily in areas of poor sanitation. Thanks to Sightsavers and partners, surgeons like Samson are able to provide sight-saving eye operations in remote parts of northern Kenya. Luckily, they reached James in time to stop him losing sight in his other eye.
Listen to the radio programme here (from 37 minutes in).
Samson’s work is also featured at the Science Museum’s Medicine: Wellcome Galleries exhibition.
A race to save James's eyesight
The video features Sightsavers surgeon Samson Lokele treating James for blinding trachoma.
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Sightsavers and partners celebrate the first World NTD Day
The first World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day on 30 January 2020 kicked off a year of decisive action on NTDs.
BBC Africa films first trachoma operations in Benin
A team from ‘La Vie’, BBC Africa’s French-language health programme, followed the story of two women from Benin as they had surgery for blinding trachoma.
