Sightsavers funds record number of operations in 2023

Sightsavers carried out more cataract operations than ever in 2023, according to figures published in the latest annual report.

The report also reveals an increase in the number of eye examinations and a fall in the number of people who need treatment for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) such as trachoma.

Every year, Sightsavers publishes an annual report and financial statement that summarises performance using data collected from programmes across the world. Dating back to 1953, this information is then used to track our work year on year.

In 2023, we helped to carry out more than 465,000 cataract operations across 42 projects, spanning 16 countries. This is the highest number reported in a single year, and a rise of three per cent compared with 2022.

During the year, we also dispensed 919,647 pairs of glasses to people in 12 countries. This is a record number in Sightsavers’ history and 130,000 more than we distributed in 2022.

Thanks to Sightsavers’ support, 65 million people no longer need treatment for at least one NTD. By carrying out surveys to assess the prevalence of a disease, we can confirm whether a population needs treatment.

Overall, we provided fewer treatments for NTDs in 2023. This shows we’re moving in a positive direction: we are close to eliminating diseases such as trachoma in several countries, meaning there are fewer people that need to be treated.

In collaboration with our partners, we carried out nearly 10 million eye screenings in a range of settings including screening camps, primary care clinics, schools and specialised eye care units. Our figures show we examined one million more people compared with 2022.

And we didn’t stop there. In 2023, our work supported 29,288 people with disabilities to live more independently by providing training to help them understand their rights, find work and take part in society. That’s nearly 5,000 more people than in 2022. We’ve also seen a significant rise in the number of women taking part in training.

These highlights only reflect a small portion of the work Sightsavers achieved with the help of its supporters in 2023. For more information on the projects we’ve supported, read our annual report in full.