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Every five minutes, one more person goes blind in Nigeria.

About the project

Nearly a million people in Nigeria’s Kwara State will get vital eye treatment to prevent river blindness and restore sight to cataract sufferers.

River blindness and cataract are the main causes of blindness in Kwara State. Here, blindness is widespread, and above the national average.

Every five minutes, another person goes blind in Nigeria. An estimated five million people here are blind, or have impaired vision. Around 130,000 of the blind are children.

River Blindness causes more than 20% of blindness in the country. Cataracts have already blinded more than 750,000 people here – and 200,000 more go blind with cataracts each year. Meanwhile, capacity for cataract operations and treatment is limited. Trachoma, the leading cause of preventable blindness in Nigeria - claims the sight of 200,000 people.

River Blindness – or onchocerciasis - can be prevented by a simple treatment with the drug Mectizan, to protect against the disease and save the eyesight of millions of people in need.

Through our partners Sight Savers International, we aim to eliminate river blindness and restore sight to thousands with simple operations and eye care treatments.

Restoring sight goes far beyond improving the individual’s quality of life. It means they can play a full and active role in their family, their community and the wider economy.

By the end of the project we will have provided:

• Help and treatment for 994,500 people
• Continued support for a Comprehensive Eye Care Programme, integrating all eye care into existing health facilities, including referral hospitals, district hospitals and health centres
• A key contribution to the social and economic development of Kwara State.

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