Protecting sight
Every year, we support our partners to carry out millions of eye examinations and refer people for treatment to prevent blindness and restore sight.
We fund operations for people who need them, and train eye care workers and surgeons. Through community volunteers in developing countries, we arrange for medication to be distributed to prevent blinding diseases.
Here you can find out about some of the eye conditions and causes of blindness that Sightsavers helps to treat, what we’re doing about them, and how you can help.
Cataracts
Cataracts are caused by a build-up of protein that clouds the eye’s lens, which can lead to blurred vision and, eventually, blindness.
The condition is often thought to only affect older people, but in developing countries it’s a huge problem for children too. Cataracts are thought to cause up to 60 per cent of blindness in parts of Africa, and 20 million people worldwide are blind because of the condition.
What we’re doing
In 2017, Sightsavers helped to provide more than 316,000 cataract operations.
More about cataractsRefractive error
Refractive errors are caused by irregularity in the shape of the eye, making it hard to focus clearly.
They include myopia (short-sightedness), hyperopia (long-sightedness), astigmatism (caused by an irregularly curved cornea) and presbyopia (a normal ageing change where the eye is no longer able to focus at close range). These eye conditions can be particularly problematic in poorer developing countries, where those affected may not be able to afford sight tests or spectacles.
What we’re doing
Sightsavers distributes spectacles and helps to train optometrists to diagnose vision problems.
More on refractive errorNeglected tropical diseases
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of parasitic and bacterial infections that affect more than a billion people worldwide.
NTDs are most prevalent in remote rural areas, urban slums and in conflict zones. They can cause severe and often lifelong physical impairment and affect some of the world’s poorest people, trapping them in a cycle of poverty and social isolation. The work of Sightsavers and partners shows that these diseases can be prevented, treated and eliminated.
What we’re doing
Sightsavers’ work focuses on treating and preventing five neglected tropical diseases.
More about NTDsOther conditions
Sightsavers also works to treat and prevent a range of other eye conditions that can cause visual impairment or blindness.
These include glaucoma, which is caused when the eye’s drainage becomes blocked, leading to pressure that can damage the optic nerve. Our work also covers diabetic retinopathy, which affects the blood vessels in the back of the eye.
How do our eyes work?
Our eyes are responsible for four-fifths of all the information our brain receives.
More about our eyesYou can change lives for the better
More about eye health
Lessons from our first inclusive eye health project
Sightsavers recently undertook a learning review to capture and consolidate what we’ve learned so far from our eye health pilot project in Bhopal, India.
April highlights: updates from around the world
An update from Nigeria, where Sightsavers has donated new motorbikes to a group of NTD workers. Plus news from Guinea, Cameroon and Mozambique.
Watch cataract surgery condensed into one and a half minutes
During a recent trip to Bangladesh, we filmed a time-lapse video of a Sightsavers cataract operation taking place at Khulna BNSB hospital.
