Empowering communities to guide the battle
Considered one of RLMF’s key goals is to assist mass drug therapy campaigns to guard individuals towards onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis, two NTDs that trigger pores and skin harm and persistent incapacity. Lymphatic filariasis can result in extreme disfigurement, whereas onchocerciasis may cause everlasting blindness.
Over the previous 12 months, Sightsavers has labored with well being ministries and companions to ship greater than 56 million therapies throughout Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Wherever we work, we be sure that communities themselves take a number one position.
By ‘micro-planning’ periods, we assist native individuals to resolve the very best methods to succeed in marginalised teams – together with individuals with disabilities, girls and ladies, and folks residing in insecure areas or distant settlements – to verify nobody is left behind.
Folks with disabilities
Folks with disabilities usually face big challenges in accessing therapy. It’s troublesome for them to journey to varsities, clinics or city squares the place medicine are being distributed, and details about drug therapy campaigns is usually inaccessible.
To beat these challenges, we encourage communities to incorporate individuals with disabilities of their micro-planning periods. This has led to new approaches in some areas – for instance, volunteers will usually journey house-to-house with therapies in order that nobody is missed.