South Sudan
River blindness continues to affect many people in Republic of South Sudan. Our work focuses on distributing medication to prevent the spread of this blinding disease.
Sightsavers started working in South Sudan in 2009 and established a country office in the capital, Juba, in January 2012.
Several neglected tropical diseases are present in the country: more than 7.3 million people require medicine to protect them against river blindness, and trachoma is thought to be a problem in 32 districts.
We are helping the country’s ministry of health to distribute medication that eliminates infection and stops river blindness from spreading. In 2017, we distributed almost 500,000 treatments for the disease and trained 4,100 local volunteers, who are based within communities and deliver medication to people in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
As part of a push to improve local healthcare, we also train eye health workers, surgeons and doctors, and have helped to renovate an eye unit at Malakal Teaching Hospital in the north of the country.
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January updates: highlights from around the world
Featuring news about a teacher from Nigeria who has been trained to check her students’ eyes. Plus updates from Mozambique, Uganda and more.
November updates: highlights from around the world
News about a programme that has distributed more than 137,000 pairs of glasses across eight countries. Plus updates from Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Mozambique and more.
October updates: highlights from around the world
In October, celebrations took place in many of Sightsavers' programme countries to mark World Sight Day. Plus news from Kenya, Mozambique and more.
Okello’s story
After seeing many of his friends and family lose their sight to river blindness, Okello Charles volunteered to become a ‘fly catcher’, helping to eliminate the flies that spread the disease.
September highlights: updates from around the world
News from Zambia, where Sightsavers helped Felix to gain his ophthalmology diploma. Plus news from Guinea, Togo and more.
How water is vital to fight trachoma
To mark World Water Week 2018, Sightsavers’ NTD Programme Officer Cade Howard shares tips from the field about how water can help to eliminate this painful, blinding disease.
August highlights: updates from around the world
The latest from Kenya, where Sightsavers staff have been carrying out eye screenings in a refugee camp in Turkana. Plus news from India and Nigeria.
14 areas in Uganda now free from river blindness
Nearly four million people are now free from the threat of the disease, the Uganda National Onchocerciasis Elimination Committee has announced.
More UK funding announced for disability-inclusive employment initiatives
The funding, which was announced by UK Secretary of State Penny Mordaunt, aims to address disability inclusion in developing countries.
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