Sightsavers has worked in Ghana since the 1950s, and we’re on track to tackle these diseases for good. In June 2018, Ghana was confirmed as the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to eliminate trachoma due to the efforts of the ministry of health and partners including Sightsavers.
Now we are working to eliminate river blindness and lymphatic filariasis too. We tackle these diseases through mass drug administration (MDA), in which medication is given to large sections of the population to prevent the spread of the diseases. In 2019, we helped to distribute more than 4.3 million treatments for neglected tropical diseases across the country, and trained more than 13,000 local volunteers to give out medication in their communities.
Watch the video below to see the story of trachoma elimination in Ghana.
In late 2017, a team of eye care workers raced through cities and villages in Ghana to find any remaining trachoma patients.
Read about our trip
Sightsavers advocacy adviser Gertrude Fefoame, who is based in Ghana, has been elected to the UN's disability committee.
Read about Gertrude
As part of our work to eliminate trachoma, we examined millions of people, diagnosed them and referred them for sight-saving treatment.
Read their stories
Ghana has not been spared in the coronavirus crisis, but luckily the country started its response early, with NTD support redirected.
Sightsavers' Sumrana Yasmin explains the cost-effectiveness of eye health interventions and the huge impact good sight has on the global economy.
Sightsavers staff provide a first-hand insight into our work with ministries of health, partner hospitals and volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A young boy has his sight restored in Nigeria, plus news from Kenya, Pakistan, Tanzania and Ghana.
We should ask ourselves what we can do to mitigate the adverse effects suffered by people with disabilities, who have the right to enjoy life on an equal basis with others.
Dr Agatha Aboe, from Ghana, has worked at Sightsavers for 10 years. She’s extremely dedicated to eliminating the blinding neglected tropical disease trachoma.
As we thank all our health workers on World Health Day, meet six who have worked with Sightsavers to help improve eye care for people in their communities.
A pioneer in disease elimination and a groundbreaking project to make workplaces more inclusive have been recognised by the prestigious Bond awards.
On 30 January, Sightsavers joined in celebrations for the first ever World NTD Day around the world.
In Nigeria, an eye health volunteer has been rewarded for helping to prevent river blindness for more than 20 years. Plus news from Zimbabwe, Ghana and Mali.
Our research shows that a lack of education and financial resources, social stigma and inaccessible physical infrastructure mean fewer people with disabilities are participating in politics in Africa.
At the heart of universal health care is equity, and a key question any country must ask when making roadmaps for UHC is who to include first.