DONATE

COVID-19: a message from global CEO Caroline Harper

As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues, Sightsavers would like to reassure supporters that we are monitoring the situation closely and are doing everything we can to protect our staff and the communities in all the countries where we work.

The world continues to face an unprecedented situation that is changing rapidly. Our thoughts are currently with communities across Asia, where our teams are working hard to make sure any ongoing work is conducted safely. We are following national and international guidance and will be flexible in the rapidly changing circumstances.

The majority of our staff across all countries continue to work from home, and we will follow the advice in various countries as things evolve. We have strong infrastructure and systems in place, all of which have been tested to ensure we can keep things running during this difficult time.

Regarding our programmes and work in the field, we continue to follow the latest national government and WHO guidelines. Some programmes are restarting where it is safe to do so, following stringent guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus. We continue to take a project-by-project view of the impact of COVID-19 and what can be done to support the response.

At Sightsavers, we would not be able to continue our work without our loyal supporters. We realise at this time there are many pressing concerns in everyone’s lives, and we want to reassure you that we value your ongoing support and are doing everything we can to ensure the people who need your support receive it. We are touched by all the messages we have received and we hope you will continue to support us through this uncertain period. As countries recover, we aim to be well-placed to accelerate our efforts and tackle pent-up demand.

We wish you all good health, and hope that we can all resume our normal lives as soon as possible.


Caroline Harper.Caroline Harper
Caroline is Sightsavers’ global CEO, a role she has held since 2005. In 2015 she received a CBE for services to people with visual impairments. More about Caroline

Get in touch

If you have any questions about our work and the impact of COVID-19, call us on +353 (0)1 663 7666, or visit our Contact Us page for more information.

Contact us
Professor Christopher Whitty.

Chris Whitty

Sightsavers board member Professor Chris Whitty is at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19.

Abut Prof Whitty

Read all our latest news stories

News from Sightsavers

How we’re adapting our work

Four patients wait while socially distancing for their trauchoma surgery while wearing PPE and face masks.
Sightsavers stories
Stories / Eye health /

Eye care and COVID-19: what we’ve learned during the pandemic

Throughout the pandemic, our priority has been to restart our work quickly and safely. Sightsavers staff reveal our how eye care programmes have evolved in the past 18 months.

A man is given the COVID-19 vaccine by a health care worker.
Sightsavers blog

Why Africa doesn’t need to suffer the brunt of vaccine inequality

Africa is behind on the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, yet there are programmes already in place that can help to distribute vaccines in the continent.

Ndelle Ngabe Makoge, September 2021
Three people in protective clothing and masks stand outside conducting Covid research.

Research shows ‘shocking’ exclusion of people with disabilities during pandemic

The research, part of the Inclusive Futures initiative, found many people with disabilities were unable to get help with food, medicine and other relief efforts.

September 2021
A busy conference chamber at the United Nations.

Sightsavers calls for equity and inclusion in statement to UN disability conference

Sightsavers' video statement was delivered as part of the annual disability conference in New York. It called for disability rights to be upheld in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

June 2021
A man pours clean water for a woman to wash her hands.
Sightsavers blog

Our NTD experience will be invaluable for COVID vaccine rollout

Distributing neglected tropical disease (NTD) preventative treatments in Africa can teach us a lot about rolling out a COVID-19 vaccine.

Simon Bush, February 2021
A woman shows two men how correctly cover their mouths when the cough.
Sightsavers stories
Stories / Fighting disease /

Communities in Nigeria drive the fight against COVID-19

The most effective way to tackle health issues is to put affected communities in the driving seat – COVID-19 is no different.

Learn about our work to save sight