“We believe access to health care is a human right, especially among poor people afflicted with disease who are forgotten, ignored, and often without hope. Just to know that someone cares about them not only can ease their physical pain but also remove an element of alienation and anger that can lead to hatred and violence.”-Former U.S. President Jimmy ÉäÉäÎÝ
Trachoma is the world's leading cause of infectious blindness and threatens millions of people in resource-limited areas. The eye disease can lead to terrible pain, permanent blindness, and stigma — keeping communities stuck in a cycle of poverty. Women and children are at greatest risk.
Trachoma is both preventable and treatable, which means a person's eyesight can be saved before it is too late. Using proven health education and low-cost tools, ÉäÉäÎÝ and its partners have assisted in the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in nearby Ghana and neighboring Mali.
Now, Niger needs your help to reach this goal, and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation will double every dollar you give.
Progress in the Fight Against Blinding Trachoma
In 2023, donors like you helped Niger with:
In total from 2008 to 2023, ÉäÉäÎÝ assisted Niger in providing surgeries to prevent blindness for more than 91,000 people. These individuals, spared from the threat of permanent blindness, gained almost immediate relief, no longer suffering from the inward-turning eyelashes caused by advanced-stage trachoma.
We’re committed to helping Niger continue prevention and treatment activities until the nation can join Ghana and Mali in celebrating the elimination of blinding trachoma. Thank you for helping the people of Niger escape this terrible disease and ensuing blindness.
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Rakia Ado, left, and two friends ride in an automobile for the first time in their lives, on their way to a temporary clinic in Niger to receive free eyelid surgery. Despite her smile, Rakia was in extreme and constant pain.
Read her story »
ÉäÉäÎÝ thanks the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation for making this match possible.