Alongside the medication programme, we produce educational materials to raise awareness of the importance of eye health. We train local volunteers to distribute medication within their communities, and we carry out screenings to check for river blindness and lymphatic filariasis so patients can be referred for treatment. The Ascend West and Central Africa programme has supported ministries to combat these diseases, as well as provide treatment to protect communities from schistosomiasis.
About 50 per cent of people in Liberia live in rural areas that often lack health services. The poor road networks exacerbate the problem: only seven per cent of Liberia’s roads are paved. We work with the Ministry of Health and others to identify and fill gaps in eye care, especially in remote areas.
Sightsavers, along with programme partners from the Ascend West and Central Africa programme, helped Liberia respond to the COVID-19 crisis. Meet the incredible people who made this possible.
Read the storySchools in Kenya, Ethiopia and Guinea are using educational board games to teach children about the importance of good hygiene to help eliminate trachoma.
To tackle disease, we need to know who is affected. In Liberia, Sightsavers has studied mosquitoes and tested children to see how urban migration affects the spread of lymphatic filariasis.
Saio has a physical disability that affects her feet and makes walking difficult, meaning she was missing out on a lot of her education. A Sightsavers-supported inclusive education project has provided transport to take her to school and training for her teachers, which has made a huge difference.
Meet Dr Jalikatu, who’s the only female ophthalmologist in Sierra Leone and the head of the national eye care programme.
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.