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 programmeIn Pakistan and Bangladesh, the Right to Health project worked with transgender communities to remove the barriers they face when accessing inclusive eye health services.
The project raises awareness of glaucoma in an effort to reduce the number of people going blind if their condition is left untreated.
Asma is project manager for Sightsavers’ inclusive eye health project in Bangladesh, which is breaking down the barriers women face when accessing eye care services.
Our country office teams in Pakistan and Kenya spoke to the organisations of people with disabilities they work with about their hopes for the upcoming Global Disability Summit.
In Rajasthan in northern India, an initiative run by people with disabilities is providing fresh food for the community at low prices.
Father and grandfather Sardar from Pakistan is the main breadwinner for his family. But his children and grandchildren faced an uncertain future when he began to develop cataracts.