Protecting sight
We work to prevent avoidable blindness and save the sight of the some of the world’s most vulnerable people.
We fund operations for people who need them, and train eye care workers and surgeons to provide sight-saving treatment.
Through community volunteers in developing countries, we also arrange for medication to be distributed to local communities 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.
Trachoma
Trachoma is the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness, and starts off as an eye infection a bit like conjunctivitis.
If it isn’t treated, over time it causes scarring to the eyelid that makes the eyelashes turn inward and scrape against the eye, causing tremendous pain and, eventually, blindness. The infection can be treated with antibiotics, while surgery can stop the eyelashes rubbing against the eyeball.
What we’re doing
Sightsavers aims to eliminate trachoma completely in the countries in which we work.
More about trachomaRiver blindness
River blindness, also known as onchocerciasis, is a parasitic infection that can cause severe skin irritation, itching, visual impairment and irreversible blindness.
It is spread by the bite of infected black flies that breed in fast-flowing rivers, which gave rise to the term ‘river blindness’. It can be treated with medication to help stop the spread of infection.
What we’re doing
In 2017, Sightsavers helped to distribute more than 48 million treatments for the disease.
More on river blindnessCataracts
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 errorOther 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
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Namakau’s story
Namakau, from Zambia, has had trachoma for decades and is now irreversibly blind. A fear of modern medicine had stopped her from seeking treatment.
Sightsavers in Zambia: protecting rural communities from trachoma
Sightsavers’ Tom Hodgson travelled to Zambia to see how eye surgeon Mr Ndalela is saving sight by diagnosing and treating people for trachoma.
