Our work in Democratic Republic of Congo
Diseases such as river blindness affect millions of people in DRC. In 2019 we helped to distribute more than 3.7 million treatments to prevent these debilitating diseases.
Sightsavers is working to eliminate neglected tropical diseases in DRC.
River blindness is endemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with an estimated 50.3 million people at risk from the parasite. There is also an estimated 48 million people at risk of lymphatic filariasis (LF).
Building on the work of a UK aid programme that was working to reduce river blindness and lymphatic filariasis, we are helping to eliminate and control neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) such as river blindness and LF through the UK aid flagship 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 protect communities in DRC from these debilitating diseases with the three-year programme.
The Ascend West and Central Africa programme aims to train health workers and support mass drug administration across communities to stop the spread of river blindness and LF. The programme will provide patient care support for managing systems of LF, including teaching patients how to clean infections, and exercises to reduce swelling. Surgeries will also be provided for male patients who have hydrocele, a symptom of LF that causes swelling of the scrotum.
At a glance
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Photos from Sightsavers river blindness projects feature at prominent research event
A selection of Sightsavers river blindness photographs featured as part of the Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases (COR-NTD) conference.
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Three Sightsavers nominees win IAPB awards
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