We’ll stop at nothing to ensure the human right to sight for at-risk communities in Francophone Africa. We stand in solidarity with friends like you who believe, along with us, that vulnerable people deserve quality health care services to save and preserve sight.
In 2021, we carefully stewarded the donations of our partners to make the biggest impact possible. Despite facing unique challenges amidst the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the Organization for the Prevention of Blindness (French acronym: OPC) is proud to share that we treated over 8.2 million individuals through 7 programs in 4 countries – thanks to friends like you who make our work possible.
Stewarding Every Dollar
One of the core values of the Organization for the Prevention of Blindness is transparency. Our partners put their trust in us to ensure their donations make their way across the continents and oceans to Francophone Africa. We pride ourselves in maintaining an efficient and ethical program-to-fundraising ratio, ensuring at least 86% of every dollar donated goes directly to fulfill our mission.
The Impact by The Numbers
In Chad:
- 3.8 million adults and 2.6 million children received treatment for Onchocerciasis and Lymphatic Filariasis (caused by parasitic worms in water or soil), and Schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted Helminths spread by mosquitoes and flies.
- Nearly 42,000 people were screened for Trichiasis, resulting in about 500 operations for the most advanced cases.
In the Congo:
- More than 87,000 individuals from the Sangha region were treated against Lymphatic Filariasis.
In the Central African Republic:
- Over 1.6 million individuals were treated against Trachoma through pharmaceutical distributions.
As part of our commitment to sustainable impact, we also enlisted and trained more than 32,000 individuals to carry out critical health services. That’s a lot of lives forever changed!
What We Treated
The Organization for the Prevention of Blindness (OPC) focuses on the most pervasive conditions affecting Francophone Africa, including Neglected Tropical Diseases, Trachoma, and Child Blindness.
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) are largely preventable and treatable – yet, left untreated, can cause life-long sight impairment. The most vulnerable in acquiring NTDs are individuals living in impoverished communities who do not have access to clean water, sanitary food preparation, good hygiene practices, or protection against mosquitos and other pests. Most NTDs can be treated through existing pharmaceutical drugs. But without organizations like us, the individuals most at risk would never have access to treatment.
Trachoma is a contagious, bacterial infection of the eyes, caused by Chlamydia Trachomatis. Left untreated, Trachoma causes blindness. In communities where the disease is prevalent, children under 5 account for up to 60% of those infected.
Child Blindness, is typically caused by a vitamin A deficiency, which is also a significant cause of infant mortality, cataracts, measles, or Retinopathy of Prematurity. To protect sight, we equipped the Mopti region’s hospital with comprehensive, universal, and lasting eye health devices and trained the Ophthalmology departments in the specific care of children.
All This, Because of You
Thank you for making this work possible! Without dedicated funding from individuals and partners like you, millions of the most vulnerable would lose access to quality healthcare – and ultimately, the human right of sight.
You can read more in our 2021 Impact Report, transparently shared with you to help build your trust.