These conditions mean that neglected tropical diseases such as trachoma are rife.
In 2014, Sightsavers began tracking the spread of trachoma in Darfur states, expanding to Khartoum in 2015. This enabled the country’s ministry of health to pinpoint exactly where to run trachoma treatment programmes and offer life-changing support.
In 2016, we began to distribute medication to prevent and treat the disease in central, west and north Darfur – an area the size of France. In 2017 we trained 2,600 local volunteers to give out medication in their communities. Many of these volunteers are women, which enables them to visit homes that men may not otherwise be able to enter because of local customs and culture. In 2018 we distributed more than 294,000 treatments for eye diseases such as trachoma and carried out eye screenings, in areas of Sudan affected by civil war.
Adam Elkhair, Sightsavers’ programme officer in Sudan, explains how his home country has been destroyed by civil war – and how Sightsavers is helping to protect the sight of the people left behind.
Read Adam’s blogBiruck Kebede, who leads Sightsavers’ NTD work in Ethiopia, explains how data can help to eliminate diseases such as trachoma.
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.
Geordie Woods explains how the Super School of Five trachoma prevention programme is protecting school children from this devastating disease.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Health in Sudan invited eye health workers from Somalia and Libya to attend a training session to teach them how to gather data as part of the Tropical Data initiative.
Adriane Ohanesian’s image of a surgeon operating on a teenager in a makeshift clinic has been put forward for the Wellcome Photography Prize 2019.
Trachoma, a painful eye disease, can be easily treated with antibiotics. But the challenge is reaching the people who need treatment, particularly if they live in remote areas such as Nadir in South Sudan.
News about a programme that has distributed more than 137,000 pairs of glasses across eight countries. Plus updates from Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique and more.
A round-up of our work across the world, including news from India, Uganda and Cameroon.
A young mother with trachoma in Ethiopia experienced pain every time she blinked. A quick operation has saved her sight and relieved the constant pain.