News

Eye surgeon Upendo performs a cataract operation.
News / Eye health /

Sightsavers launches eye health programme in Tanzania

Sightsavers is launching a three-year programme to provide quality eye care to rural populations in the Morogoro and Singida regions.

October 2019
Muhammed, who has lymphatic filariasis, with health worker Suraji in Nigeria.
News / Fighting disease /

New health programme will protect 200 million people from disease

The Ascend programme, which Sightsavers is leading, aims to tackle six of the world’s worst diseases in 25 countries.

September 2019
Two trucks drive through a dusty landscape in Benin, with parched shrubs on either side of the road.
News / Fighting disease /

BBC Africa films first trachoma operations in Benin

A team from ‘La Vie’, BBC Africa’s French-language health programme, followed the story of two women from Benin as they had surgery for blinding trachoma.

September 2019
Boulders in a river beneath a canopy of trees.
News / Fighting disease /

Nigerian hotspot declared free from river blindness

The disease has been banished from key areas of Nigeria where it was once endemic, bringing it one step closer to being eliminated.

August 2019
Caroline Harper speaks at the TED summit in July 2019.
News / Fighting disease /

Sightsavers and END Fund join forces at TED summit to inspire action on NTDs

Sightsavers’ CEO Dr Caroline Harper and the END Fund’s Sam Mayer presented a session looking at how countries are making huge strides towards eliminating neglected tropical diseases.

July 2019
Sir Clive Jones.
News /

Sightsavers welcomes Clive Jones as new chair of trustees

Broadcasting veteran Clive will take the helm from current chair Martin Dinham, who is stepping down after four years in the role.

July 2019
Professor Christopher Whitty.
News / Eye health /

Sightsavers trustee appointed chief medical officer for England

Professor Christopher Whitty, who has been on Sightsavers’ board of trustees since 2017, will take up the post in October.

June 2019
Dominic Haslam sat at a desk talking into a microphone
News / Disability and inclusion /

Sightsavers director Dominic Haslam awarded an OBE

Dominic, who is Sightsavers’ Director of Policy and Programme Strategy, is recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for his services to people with disabilities.

June 2019
Joseph's eye being checked by one of the clinic staff
News / Eye health /

‘Keep Sight’ project will train eye care staff to treat glaucoma in Nigeria

The initiative, run by Sightsavers, Allergan and the IAPB, initially aims to train 50 eye care workers, with the goal of screening 5,000 people and treating 500 patients.

May 2019
Zuhara from Tanzania stands outside her primary school
News / Fundraising /

Sightsavers receives $1 million donation to fund essential eye health work

The donation, from charitable fund Arcadia, will enable Sightsavers to continue its work to fight avoidable blindness in some of the world’s poorest countries.

April 2019
Old black and white photo showing a group of young men on a mountain slope.
News / Disability and inclusion /

Sightsavers marks 50th anniversary of Mount Kilimanjaro expedition

On 20 February 1969, Sightsavers supported men with visual impairments on an expedition to raise awareness about blindness.

February 2019
A collection of the items that Sightsavers is auctioning, including signed shoes, records and books.
News / Fundraising /

Rankin, Rita Ora and Kate Moss join Sightsavers’ eBay auctions

From 22 February to 3 March, fans can bid on the opportunity to win up-close experiences with top celebrities, including a meet-and-greet with Rita Ora.

January 2019
Carlitos smiles after receiving his new glasses.
News /

January 2019 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.

January 2019
Blue Peter's Sight Savers appeal.
News / Fundraising /

60 years of Blue Peter: the show that gave Sightsavers its name

As Blue Peter celebrates its 60th birthday, we look back to the programme’s Sight Saver appeal in 1986, which raised money for our mobile eye units in Africa.

October 2018
Caroline Harper speaks at TED2018.
News / Fighting disease /

Trachoma talk from Sightsavers’ CEO named ‘TED of the Day’

Dr Caroline Harper's TED Talk, in which she laid out an ambitious plan to eliminate trachoma, has been chosen as the day’s top pick.

June 2018
An eye health worker uses a torch while checking a man's eyes for trachoma.
News / Fighting disease /

Trachoma is eliminated in Ghana

Ghana has become the first country in sub-Saharan Africa and the Commonwealth to eliminate trachoma, as validated by the World Health Organization.

June 2018
Professor Stephen Hawking at the Sightsavers celebration of a billion NTD treatments.
News / Fighting disease /

Stephen Hawking commends his father’s role in tackling NTDs

Professor Hawking spoke at Sightsavers’ event to mark the one billionth treatment for neglected tropical diseases: watch the full video of his speech here.

December 2017
News / Obituaries /

A tribute to Sir Nicholas Fenn

Sir Nicholas Fenn, who died on 18 September 2016, was a dedicated advocate and staunch supporter of Sightsavers.

September 2016
Screenshot of Specsavers' online induction
News / Eye health /

Specsavers chooses Sightsavers as charity partner for new induction scheme

Sightsavers has been chosen as one of three charity partners to be part of Specsavers’ new online staff induction.

February 2016
Caroline Harper.
News / Eye health /

Sightsavers’ Caroline Harper named in New Year Honours

Dr Harper has been appointed a CBE in recognition of her services to people with visual impairments around the world.

December 2015
TV presenter and wheelchair basketball player Ade Adepitan with a group of people
News / Eye health /

Sightsavers features on Channel 4’s Unreported World with Ade Adepitan

TV presenter and wheelchair basketball player Ade Adepitan saw the impact of Sightsavers-supported cataract operations.

October 2015
A photo of two hands. In one hand there are three tablets.
News / Fighting disease /

Scientists win Nobel prize for river blindness discovery

William C Campbell and Satoshi Omura discovered a group of compounds known as avermectins, used to treat and prevent river blindness.

October 2015
A girl in class reading braille.
News / Disability and inclusion /

Disability and the SDGs: from words to action

World governments will meet at the United Nations General Assembly this weekend, and a key item on their agenda is the Sustainable Development Goals.

September 2015
Portrait of Brien in black shirt against white background.
News / Obituaries /

Brien Holden obituary: A global leader in eye care and vision research

Sightsavers was shocked and saddened to hear the news of the sudden death of Professor Brien Holden, a global leader in eye care and vision research.

July 2015
A teacher writing on a blackboard in front of a group of children.
News / Disability and inclusion /

Children with disabilities most likely to be denied education

Children with disabilities, children in conflict areas and girls are the most likely to miss out on going to school, according to a new campaign.

March 2015
News / Eye health /

Bill and Melinda Gates: trachoma and river blindness will be eliminated by 2030

In their annual letter, they predict that we’ll “see the last of diseases like river blindness, and blinding trachoma, which disable tens of millions of people in poor countries”.

January 2015
Gaz Coombes in a photo frame
News / Disability and inclusion /

Celebrities put themselves in the picture to support Sightsavers’ campaign

Paralympic Kelly Gallagher and Gaz Coombes from Supergrass have been photographed by Rankin to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities today.

December 2014
Sunetra Sarker
News / Eye health /

Sightsavers ambassador Sunetra stars in Strictly Come Dancing

Sunetra, who plays Dr Zoe Hanna on medical drama Casualty, has been an ambassador for Sightsavers since 2009.

September 2014
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