Sightsavers has released a two-minute film to raise awareness of trachoma that features five people reading and reflecting on the words of people living with the eye disease.
The film, which was created as part of the charity’s The End is in Sight campaign, focused on the experiences of people from several African countries.
It highlighted the impact of trachoma on daily life, work and personal relationships, as well as how people try desperate solutions to relieve the pain.
Sightsavers has released the film following targets set by the World Health Organisation to eliminate neglected tropical diseases by 2030.
Katherine Cross, global marketing manager at Sightsavers, said: ‘The aim of the film is to use the power of real words to understand how it feels to live with trachoma. We want to raise awareness of this devastating disease through the personal experiences of those living with it. Our ambassadors all understand the power words have to bring experience to life. This is a disease we eliminated in the UK more than 60 years ago and now it’s possible to do so everywhere.’
The charity highlighted that over 137 million people still remain at risk of trachoma globally, with most living in sub-Saharan Africa.
In addition, Sightsavers research found that only 16% of British people know what trachoma is despite affecting millions of people worldwide.
Sightsavers’ film features actor and producer, Andrea Chika Chukwu-Ahern; editor and publisher, Ellah P. Wakatama; poet, author and hip hop artist, Karl Nova; actor and Merlin star Tomiwa Edun; and playwright, filmmaker and poet, Zodwa Nyoni.
