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 2022, we helped to distribute more than 4 million treatments for neglected tropical diseases across the country, and trained more than 11,000 local volunteers to give out medication in their communities.
In 2020, we supported the Government of Ghana to launch the four-year Ghana Participation Programme, which will improve access to services for people with disabilities and mental health conditions.
Benin and Ghana, two of the countries where Sightsavers works, have been recognised for their success in wiping out several diseases that are prevalent in poor and marginalised communities.
Sightsavers’ Peter Anomah-Kordieh Kwasi shares successes and what we learned from the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie participation project, which Sightsavers supported as a partner to improve the lives of people with disabilities.
Gertrude, who is Sightsavers’ global advocacy manager for social inclusion, becomes the first African woman to lead the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Sightsavers’ Peter Anomah-Kordieh Kwasi shares the journey that led to the establishment of a parliamentary caucus that champions disability issues.
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.