In 2017 we carried out more than 14 million eye examinations across the countries where we work, and distributed more than 157 million treatments to prevent and treat debilitating diseases.
Our first programmes in the 1950s started in Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, with several other African countries following in the next two decades. In the 1960s and 70s we also expanded into Asia with our first projects in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and continued to extend our work across Africa. Most recently, we started work in Yemen in 2018, distributing treatments for neglected tropical diseases.
Our work in Sri Lanka came to an end in 2016, marking an exciting milestone: it’s the first time we’ve been able to finish our work in a country, satisfied that the eye care services we’ve set up can continue without us.
Sightsavers has been changing lives and restoring sight worldwide since 1950.
Read our story“Restoring people’s sight and empowering people with disabilities gives me immense satisfaction.”
Munazza Gillani, country director
More from Pakistan
“Saving people’s sight isn’t just my job: it's my calling. I’m happy to help children have a brighter future.”
Mr Ndalela, ophthalmic doctor
Read Mr Ndalela’s story
“If we are all Ugandans, we should all be treated equally. That is what I want: to see change.”
Edith Kagoya, programme manager
Read Edith’s story
Sightsavers’ Kate McCoy followed a team of eye care workers as they raced through cities and villages to find any remaining patients: they needed to treat them all to eliminate the disease for good.
More than 4,000 volunteers, most of them women, went door to door with medication to treat the potentially blinding disease.
The discussions in Kampala focused on how Uganda can achieve the aim of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals: to leave no one behind.
A group of Sightsavers staff travelled to Makeni Hospital in Sierra Leone to meet the amazing eye care workers your donations are helping to support.
Sightsavers’ Sarah Muddle visited Bhopal in India to see how our eye care projects are helping slum communities devastated by an industrial tragedy in 1984.
Sightsavers’ Ella Pierce travelled to Bangladesh and met eight-year-old Suborna, who was in desperate need of a cataract operation. This is her journey.