It’s thought that up to 2.8 million people in Yemen are at risk of contracting this blinding eye disease.
In 2018, with the help of our partners, we started work in Yemen to distribute the first antibiotics to protect people against trachoma. A team of more than 4,000 volunteers were trained to go door to door to give out the medication, and the majority of the volunteers were women: they were chosen because they are able to go into houses to treat other women and children, while men are often not admitted because of local customs.
More campaigns are now being planned in other districts in Yemen.
We’re helping to train female volunteers so they can go door to door to distribute medication. This enables them to reach as many members of the community as possible, ensuring everyone receives the treatment they need.
More about the programmeSightsavers began working in Bangladesh in 1973 to diagnose and treat people for cataracts, which is one of the most common eye conditions in the country.
Noor, a short film about the impact of childhood visual impairment, has been selected for the ‘Best health film’ category at the Cannes World Film Festival.
Arif’s life changed when he had two cataract operations at five years old. We've been following his journey since then, from completing his education to finding work as a driver.
Shamima, who has hearing and speech impairments, was able to access vital treatment after her sister heard about Sightsavers’ free eye camps.
The charitable foundation is raising £35,000 for Sightsavers’ work in Pakistan through its Sprint for Sight campaign.
In Pakistan and Bangladesh, the Right to Health project worked with transgender communities to remove the barriers they face when accessing inclusive eye health services.