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 storyMeet 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.
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.
Sierra Leone has become the 50th country to be surveyed for trachoma as part of the initiative, with one person being examined for trachoma every 26 seconds since the surveys began in 2012.
In Côte d’Ivoire, eye health staff have been working to ensure eye surgery is COVID-safe. Plus news from Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Ghana and more