It’s believed more than 21 million people are in danger of contracting lymphatic filariasis, a debilitating infection transmitted via mosquito bite.
More than 4.1 million people are also at risk of river blindness, which can cause severe skin irritation, itching, visual impairment and irreversible blindness. It is spread by the bite of infected black flies.
Thanks to the UK aid flagship neglected tropical disease (NTD) programme, Ascend West and Central Africa, as a consortium, Sightsavers along with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Mott Macdonald, and the SCI Foundation, is supporting ministries to combat these diseases. In addition to supporting efforts to eliminate lymphatic filariasis and river blindness, the programme is also working to protect communities from schistosomiasis and trachoma.
Sightsavers’ Joseph Mensah explains how the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie programme is helping to change negative social attitudes and behaviour.
On 30 January 2022, Sightsavers staff and supporters joined the global event to raise awareness about eliminating neglected tropical diseases.
Throughout the pandemic, our priority has been to restart our work quickly and safely. Sightsavers staff reveal our how eye care programmes have evolved in the past 18 months.
The signing and passing into law of a new social decree that protects the rights of people with disabilities was years in the making. But how did we get to this historic moment?
As Côte d’Ivoire completes its final operations as part of the Accelerate programme to fight trachoma, hear the stories of some of the people involved.
The £4 billion cut includes ending funding for the FCDO's flagship neglected tropical disease programmes, including the Sightsavers-led Ascend West and Central Africa programme.