3 boys posing for photo

It’s Time to Take Action for World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day

Did you know that Ethiopia is home to more than half of the world’s trachoma cases, a painful eye disease that can lead to blindness? Trachoma is preventable, yet it remains a leading cause of blindness. This World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day, you can help us eliminate trachoma in Ethiopia by 2030 and change thousands of lives.

What Is Trachoma and Why Should You Care?

Trachoma is a painful eye disease that can lead to blindness if not treated. It’s caused by a bacteria that spreads easily, often through flies or by sharing things like bedding or clothes. Over time and repeated infections, it makes the eyelids turn inwards, causing serious pain and, without treatment, blindness.

And it’s not just about losing your sight – trachoma affects everything. People can’t work, children can’t go to school, and families struggle to get by. The cycle of poverty deepens, leaving little hope for the future.

Three Brothers, One Battle Against Trachoma

Aby, Kidame, and Damoze live with their parents in a small village in the Kembata zone, nestled in the heart of south-central Ethiopia, near farmland. Their father grows maize, potatoes, and avocados, while their mother takes care of the home. The family faces financial challenges, struggling to make ends meet with the limited income from farming. Inside their home, educational posters adorn the walls, and the alphabet is written outside – symbols of hope for the children's future.

But trachoma is dimming that hope. Aby and Damoze are battling active infections, and Kidame has just recovered from one. This painful disease is affecting their sight and making it hard for them to learn or play.

child posing for photo

“Education is so important, and they need good vision to learn. I worry about what would happen if we couldn’t get them treatment.”

Thankfully, Aster, an Orbis-trained health worker, has been able to provide the children with antibiotics, giving them a chance at a brighter future. Aster’s work is a shining example of the difference local eye care heroes can make in their communities. Over the years, she has helped hundreds of others reclaim their sight and their lives.

child outside his house with the alphabet on the wall

Here you can see Aby outside his families house learning the alphabet which are written on the walls. With your support of Orbis, it allows children like Aby, Kidame and Damoze to have an education and live a life free from pain.

A Local Hero Making a Difference

Aster is an Orbis-trained local health worker who’s helped many people get their sight back. She’s performed around 200 surgeries on people suffering from trachoma. “Helping people was always my passion, and now it’s my job,” she says. “I see myself as a ‘change-agent.’”

By supporting Aster and others like her, you’re helping to end the suffering caused by trachoma and giving people the chance to live healthier, independent lives.

local eye care worker distributing antibiotics

Aster administering antibiotics to a family who have active trachoma in Ethiopia. Your support or Orbis can help continue the work Aster is doing to make a difference in people's lives.

Making Change in Ethiopia

Since we began working in Ethiopia in 1998, we’ve trained nurses to perform over 250,000 eye surgeries, delivered 100 million doses of antibiotics to fight trachoma, and educated communities on preventing infection. Alongside our partners, we’re improving sanitation to stop the disease from spreading.

Why We Must Act Now

Trachoma robs individuals of opportunities to learn, earn, and thrive. As Aster says, “We need to make eliminating trachoma a priority, to give people the chance to live to their full potential.”

Without intervention, millions remain at risk of blindness and poverty. By donating, you’ll help us deliver life-saving medicine, train health workers, and teach people how to protect themselves from the disease. Together, we can make trachoma a thing of the past.

Donate today and join the fight to eliminate trachoma and restore sight to those who need it most.

Donate today and join the fight to eliminate trachoma and restore sight to those who need it most.

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