Sightsavers is runner-up for two global development awards

A pioneer in disease elimination and a groundbreaking Sightsavers project to make workplaces more inclusive have been recognised by the prestigious Bond awards.

Dr Agatha Aboe, Sightsavers’ global trachoma programme coordinator, was one of the runners up for a Bond Humanitarian Award, while our Social Inclusion Working group reached the final stages for the Diversity Award.

Dr Aboe was nominated for her impressive leadership of Ghana’s national trachoma elimination programme. She has been Sightsavers’ global trachoma programme coordinator since 2010 and has been central to Ghana’s efforts in tackling trachoma, the leading global cause of preventable blindness.

The programme’s success resulted in the country eliminating the eye disease as a public health problem in June 2018. Dr Aboe helped to change the country’s approach to mass drug administration, resulting in significantly increased, effective and more widespread coverage.

Her introduction of house-to-house searches for people with trachomatous trichiasis, the most advanced stage of the disease, made treatment far more inclusive and helped ensure that no one was left behind. She was also instrumental in gathering and submitting a trachoma elimination evidence dossier to the World Health Organization.

Sightsavers’ Social Inclusion Working Group was shortlisted for the Diversity Award, which celebrates organisations that are developing inclusive workplaces. The working group has done important work inside Sightsavers, continually improving the organisation’s accessibility and helping to make us an employer of choice for people with disabilities.

The group recently helped Sightsavers to become a Disability Confident Level 3 employer, the highest level currently attainable, recognising our dedication to inclusivity.

The Bond Awards recognise innovative work and incredible individuals in the development sector. There are six categories which cover innovation, collaboration, diversity, small NGOs, humanitarianism and a volunteer’s award. The awards aim to celebrate the important work happening in development that often goes unseen.