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CBM and The Carter Centre collaborated to provide life-changing eye surgery for two children in South Sudan. The partnership highlights the importance of cross-sectoral collaborations in ophthalmology to prevent lifelong blindness.

The manual, to which CBM contributed case studies, provides evidence for engaging women and girls in trachoma planning and offers practical solutions for accessing surgical services and improving environmental conditions.

A comprehensive community-based inclusive development approach to eye care services includes promotion, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of eye conditions.

CBM and DAHW (German Leprosy and Tuberculosis Relief Association) are at the forefront of responding to escalating humanitarian needs in East Africa, with a focus on the specific needs of persons with disabilities.

Glaucoma is the most common cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.

CBM activates the Crisis Modifier for the first time, reaching more persons in need affected by flooding.

Promotion of alternative climate-resilient livelihood and trainings in climate-smart agricultural methods are essential to reduce loss of livelihood.

Inclusive Vision Centres provide primary eye care to the surrounding communities. They are equipped with basic ophthalmic equipment and computers with internet connectivity that are linked to a secondary hospital for referrals and further treatment.

These two new publications offer practical insights into how communities can improve their disaster preparedness while protecting the progress they have made in their development programmes.

The 14th Annual Neglected Tropical Disease NGO Network (NNN) Conference is taking place this year on the 19th- 21st September in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. The NNN is a forum for non-governmental organisations working in neglected tropical diseases. The theme of the conference is “Reaching new frontiers- powering a new generation of leadership and cross-sectoral collaborations to end NTDs.”

Embracing equity is at the heart of much of our work at CBM.

Read these real-life examples of how CBID is bringing about positive change and promoting inclusion.

This fisherman from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), lost his sight to River Blindness (Onchocerciasis) one of the Neglected Diseases (NTDs). Wushidi’s eyesight could have been saved – with better medical care, community awareness and health initiatives. Fortunately, others, like his son Saiko, can still be saved.

In 2022, CBM's Africa East and South Regional Office reached 9 million people through core activities with 98 partners across the region. Through the innovative use of technology from PEEK Vision, important eye care services were delivered in communities with limited resources. In addition, CBM's interventions focused on preventing neglected tropical diseases and empowering persons with disabilities through inclusive development projects that promote community engagement and awareness of their rights.

CBM marks World NTD Day - 30th January 2022- Celebrating progress and taking action to #EndtheNeglect and #BeatNTDs

The CBM initiative 'We Light Up Eyes' through Essilor and the Vision Catalyst Fund provides people in Pakistan with glasses delivered by SIOVS.

Children are screened by trained staff for eye diseases such as cataracts and those who need further examination, treatment or surgery are referred to tertiary health facilities.

This new CBM report explores how the UN CRPD can be implemented and enforced at the local level and provides concrete recommendations for change.

CBM’s new project in Nigeria aims to ensure equitable access to quality healthcare and socio-economic services for persons with disabilities. By putting legal safeguards into action and fostering inclusive communities, CBM envisions an empowered future for persons with disabilities in Nigeria.

The WHO reports a remarkable decline in global Trachoma risk to 115.7 million, with CBM interventions contributing significantly to this decline. By 2022, 17 countries such as Vanuatu in Oceania and Malawi in Africa have eradicated trachoma as a public health problem, while 5 others are close to certification.

As the year comes to an end, we reflect on important events and achievements for our organisation this year.

Where is the last mile? Is it where concrete ends, and dirt begins? Where the buses stop and motos go? Where women walk miles with babes in arms tucked into multi coloured wax cloths? I had the opportunity to reflect on this term that we bandy about in our work in NTD prevention as my colleagues and I bounced through miles of rainwater inundated mud roads in Northern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Our project “Phase 2 – Leave no one behind!” promotes the inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action. Based on the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action, we support a better understanding of the human rights-based approach to disability in humanitarian action.

In 2020, CBM alongside its long-standing partners in India – Sundarban Social Development Centre (SSDC) and The Leprosy Mission Trust India (TLMTI) – conducted a 7-month long humanitarian project from June to December 2020 to provide relief aid for those affected by Cyclone Amphan.

Nomadic and pastoralist communities’ mobility patterns in South Sudan are motivated by search for water, pastures, and livestock disease outbreaks, which in turn influence the access and uptake of MDA.

CBM operations in Africa East and South region is based in 9 countries supporting over 150 projects in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In 2021 we are proud of the impact we have made together with our partners in the lives of over 1 Million persons with disabilities reached through Inclusive Eye Health and Community Based Inclusive Development Initiatives.

Ahead of World Hearing Day 2023, Diego Santana-Hernandez, Senior Ear and Hearing Care CBID Advisor at CBM, reports on his experiences with CBM's inclusive ear and hearing care projects in Madagascar.

With the support of CBM, the OPD consortium signed a memorandum of understanding to produce a guide for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the electoral process in Guatemala.

The new law closes the legal gap on the rights and obligations of persons with disabilities and creates an effective framework for the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities to ensure their full participation in national life.

Read Nanye's story about music, tradition, and the fight against Trachoma in Ethiopia.

The ‘Community Based Inclusive Development’ (CBID) Initiative at CBM launched an Innovation Fund in 2021. With this Fund, we want to celebrate and encourage the ingenuity of people we work with and the power of community. This fund provides a space for creative thinking about social innovation with practical impact on the lives of persons with disabilities in their communities.

On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, CBM urges everyone to acknowledge persons with disabilities and enable them to participate in all aspects of life.

As part of the partnership between CBM and Peek Vision, a new school eye health programme is underway in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is the first CBM-Peek programme to launch in the country and is being implemented by our partner ALERT Hospital in collaboration with district health and education authorities.

CBM supports children, women, and men in Kenya with food, water, and school meals.

Neglected Tropical Diseases affect more than one billion people worldwide, most of whom live in developing countries.

APROFEHTO Association for the Promotion of Disabled Women in Togo, a CBM partner supports women with disabilities and mothers of children with disabilities.

Seeing is life. If you cannot see, then you are not completely yourself.”

Health equity for persons with disabilities and equitable access to health is at the core of CBM’s work. This includes strengthening health systems, with a focus on Inclusive Eye Health and Community Based Inclusive Development, including Ear and Hearing Care and Rehabilitation.

CBM expanded its reach in 2022, impacting over 62 million people across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. With continued support, CBM aims to change more lives and strengthen local health systems.

Dive into CBM's Annual Report 2022, where we celebrate our tireless commitment to persons with disabilities. Discover our successes in promoting health, education and livelihoods. Discover how we work with communities, governments and organisations to create an inclusive society. Help us empower persons with disabilities and build a barrier-free future.

CBM’s work in eye health started in 1908, and 112 years on, it has expanded to 106 partners across 35 countries implementing 124 projects in eye care and neglected tropical diseases. Along with numbers, there has been an immense progress in the way work is delivered, how surgery, planning and partnerships have improved.

As part of the partnership between CBM and Peek Vision, a new school eye health programme is underway in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is the first CBM-Peek programme to launch in the country and is being implemented by our partner ALERT Hospital in collaboration with district health and education authorities.

CBM is delighted to announce the publication of the latest in its Disability-Inclusive Development (DID) book series. The book, entitled “My Right is Our Future: The Transformative Power of Disability-Inclusive Education” explores the essential elements needed to ensure that inclusive education ensures DID.

On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), celebrated annually on 3 December, we draw attention to a recently launched handbook on early rehabilitation in conflicts and disasters.

Results of a trial published in Lancet Global Health this month could pave the way for significant improvements in treatment for glaucoma in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Since August 2017, extreme violence in Myanmar has driven almost 860,000 Rohingya refugees across the border into Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. In partnership with the Centre for Disability in Development (CDD), CBM has been providing health and rehabilitation services in the Rohingya camps and host community for four years. Now we are excited to share our documentation on the CBM/CDD model of health and rehabilitation service provision.

Every 19 August, we celebrate World Humanitarian Day to honour humanitarian efforts made around the globe and to assert the need for supporting people in crisis. This year, we celebrate our local partner staff Esung Elizabeth Mbende, a humanitarian worker at the frontline of the conflict in Cameroon.

Every 19 August, we celebrate World Humanitarian Day to honour humanitarian efforts made around the globe and to assert the need for supporting people in crisis. This year, we celebrate our local partner staff Esung Elizabeth Mbende, a humanitarian worker at the frontline of the conflict in Cameroon.

"Advocacy, in general, is important but it is crucial that it reaches where the results of advocacy are needed most - the community members, their sultans and their elected representatives," Girija Sankar, Head of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) at CBM.

Working with persons with disabilities and their organisations is the most effective way to ensure disability-inclusive community development.

When CBM's founder, Pastor Ernst J. Christoffel, opened the first home for persons with disabilities in 1908, war, disease and uncertainty were eminent - causing untold suffering, disabling many people, and leaving children orphaned. 114 years later, the script reads the same: war, disease, uncertainty, and crises caused by climate change have descended on the world in 2022.

Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID) is a way of working that ensures persons with disabilities are respected and included in their communities on an equal basis, in all aspects of life. CBM's CBID work focuses specifically on disaster risk reduction for persons with disabilities, inclusive health, inclusive education and livelihoods. Our global CBID portfolio currently includes 166 projects implemented with 135 partners in 30 countries.

New guidelines promote inclusion, effective communication and a stigma-free environment for deaf and hard-of-hearing children in schools. These guidelines empower teachers and lay the groundwork for positive change in student mental health.

An interview with 29-year old Nirmala Puri, who works as a Multi-Skilled Rehabilitation Assistant in the CBM supported ‘Inclusive Development of Children’ (IDC) project, which is being implemented by our partner Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children (HRDC) in Nepal.

As part of CBM’s celebration of World Sight Day - 14th October 2021- and its message on the importance of eye health for everyone, we are launching our Inclusive Eye Health Initiative Annual Report.

World Sight Day (WSD) is an annual day of awareness and education around blindness and visual impairment. This year it will be celebrated on Thursday 14 October, with the theme ‘Love Your Eyes’.

More than 49 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo are at risk from Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). Community Health Workers supported by CBM help to distribute vital treatments every year in some of the hardest to reach communities.

CBM's annual report on our work to tackle Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) has just been launched during this year’s NTD NGO Conference.

Every 19 August, we celebrate World Humanitarian Day to honour humanitarian efforts made around the globe and to assert the need for supporting people in crisis. This year, we celebrate our local partner staff Esung Elizabeth Mbende, a humanitarian worker at the frontline of the conflict in Cameroon.

CBM Zimbabwe Country Director, Ms. Deborah Tigere bagged two awards in the Directors category following nominations from Institute of Directors Zimbabwe (IODZ).

Dr. Honorine Nizeyimana received a CBM grant earlier this year and has already started training in Uganda to be an ophthalmologist. In conversation with the 34-year-old doctor from Burundi, she tells us what the job means to her.

On International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2020, read the inspiring story of Lydia Maundé from Malawi. Thanks to CBM-supported partners in Malawi (Macoha and Nkhoma Hospital) Lydia has regained her vision and can participate in daily life again.

On the occasion of the World Community Development Conference, CBM is launching its first ever ‘Community Based Inclusive Development’ Report.

On International Day of Persons with Disabilities we draw from IDMC’s latest research in Nigeria and Colombia to highlight how the negative effects of displacement fall heavily on those with disabilities.

Education is a universal right, but it is not a reality for all. Learners with disabilities continue to be excluded from education and within education.

CBM's eye health project in Balochistan, Pakistan, was recognised for transforming eye care by improving accessibility, affordability and quality, and received funding from the government to upgrade hospitals and deploy ophthalmologists.

With 50 years of experience in emergency response, CBM has established the Inclusive Humanitarian Action initiative prioritizing the growing needs of persons with disabilities in times of crisis. In part two of this interview, Roland Schlott, Director of CBM's IHA, highlights the importance of establishing the initiative.

This year, CBM will use this Day to bring attention to avoidable blindness.

Dr. Mchikirwa Msina is one of very few ophthalmologists in Tanzania who can operate on children with cataracts. Day after day, she saves the eyesight of her little patients.

The Asia and Americas Regional Office has launched the Impact Fund, a fund that will support projects with the potential to sustainably scale and improve the lives of persons with disabilities in their communities.

There is so much to do and what we can do feels like a drop in the ocean. But thanks to this project, 300 children will have bilateral cataract surgery by the end of this year. That's 300 children who can see, who did not before. They can play, they can go to school, they can participate.

CBM programme builds sustainable structures in the fight against visual impairment. The aim is to improve access to equitable and quality eye care by strengthening health systems.

"The deed of love is the sermon that everyone understands." This echoes CBM's unwavering commitment to its mission and the core values on which its work is based.

In today's world, the frequency and severity of natural disasters and crises have been on the rise, leaving millions of people in dire need of assistance.

Strengthening the rights of women with disabilities in Pakistan.

For 20 years, Katharina Pförtner (recently retired CBM Global and Regional Advisor for Latin America) campaigned for inclusion in Latin America on behalf of CBM. She has seen and experienced a lot in the past 20 years – some sad experiences as well as hopeful ones. She is now freshly retired - but boredom is a long way off.

World Braille Day is celebrated annually on January 4. This Day is observed to raise awareness of the importance of Braille as a means of communication in the full realization of the human rights for blind and partially sighted people.

CBM is taking active steps to ensure that its Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID) work in disaster-prone areas incorporates Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DiDRR) into pre-and post-disaster and long-term recovery work.

Diabetic retinopathy is a disease caused by diabetes that attacks the retina of the eye. It can lead to permanent visual impairment or blindness. It occurs in about one- third of diabetics.

The programme aims to address the shortage of trained and qualified ophthalmologists that is particularly prevalent in developing countries.

Botchi's journey highlights the spirit and resilience of people facing adversity when given the support, resources and opportunities they need to thrive. They overcome challenges and become independent.

People with disabilities in Espindola, Ecuador, with support from CBM and its local CBID partner, are creating change and improving life for people with and without disabilities.

On International Women's Day 2021, CBM calls for strengthening the potential of women with disabilities. Read the inspiring account of Siata Konaté, who received a training in rice cultivation and now runs a cooperative of 26 rice farmers.

World Children’s Day is celebrated every year on the 20th of November, the day in 1989 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child. On this Day, we raise awareness, promote and celebrate children’s rights and children welfare, in order to build a better world for them.

CBM has ordered eye equipment to be installed at 33 of CBM’s partner facilities in 15 countries, benefitting thousands of patients.

Are you attending the GPDRR 2022 in Bali, Indonesia? Look out for these insightful CBM events.

When Randa lost her hearing, her parents were worried about their daughter's future. But with the support of a CBM programme, Randa is now a master potter and ceramist.

Through CBM’s Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID) initiative, Nayana received training on disability rights. She has become a fearless advocate, championing the removal of physical barriers and challenging negative attitudes in her community.

The ‘Global Perspectives 2020’ conference, co-sponsored by CBM, has just come to an end. This year the theme was ‘A Passion for Inclusion’.

This is a personal account by Paew Rattanamongkol who lives in Thailand. Thanks to CBM partner Daughters of Charity, Paew was part of a project to strengthen the rights of persons with disabilities and is now a community leader assisting people with disabilities and improving their social participation at local community levels.

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), also known as World Disability Day is observed on 3 December each year. This day aims to promote awareness of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities.

In the last week, CBM partner, The Sindh Institute of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (SIOVS) in Hyderabad, Pakistan received the first shipment of eyeglasses and lenses.

The lack of awareness of or access to available interventions and education for children with disabilities often prevents them from accessing inclusive education.

To truly leave no one behind and reach the furthest behind first, we need to ensure that women and girls with disabilities have access to health, education, social, legal and economic services to finally break the silence.

On World Albinism Day, CBM calls for more support for those affected.

A day to reaffirm our commitment to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disability living in poor communities. CBM made progress in 2019.

CBM participated, contributed and presented in a meeting and public workshop as a key member of the Leave No One Behind partnership from 25-28 June in Berlin.

CBM is co-sponsoring the ‘Global Perspectives 2020’ conference on inclusion.

A normal day in the life of Dr. Slyvain el-Khoury who, until recently, was the CBM ophthalmologist working at the Kabgayi Clinic in Rwanda.

The ‘Community Based Inclusive Development’ (CBID) Initiative at CBM launched an Innovation Fund in 2021. With this Fund, we want to celebrate and encourage the ingenuity of people we work with and the power of community. This fund provides a space for creative thinking about social innovation with practical impact on the lives of persons with disabilities in their communities.

By 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people will be living with some degree of hearing loss, at least 700 million of whom will require rehabilitation services. This World Hearing Day – observed every year on March 3rd – CBM is encouraging everyone to check their own ears and take care of their hearing health long term. Diego Santana-Hernández, Senior Ear and Hearing Care Advisor at CBM explains why.

Use CBM’s Inclusive Participation Toolbox to make your work more inclusive. Let us write a new history where inclusion is possible for all of us.

The WHO resolution aims to address the growing need for rehabilitation worldwide, with one in three people requiring it.

Earlier this year, CBM along with its local partner Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children (HRDC) organised a mobile health and rehabilitation camp in Nepal.

This February governments, businesses, development professionals, and Organisations of People with Disabilities come together at the Global Disability Summit to commit to change and do more to include over one billion people with disabilities, many of whom live in some of the world’s poorest countries.

CBM’s work in Ethiopia has provided 250,000 people with water and informed 1.8 million people on the cause, prevention and treatment of trachoma and the importance of facial cleanliness and environmental sanitation.

Being part of something - that is inclusion. CBM CBID work ensures that the quality of life of persons with disabilities in the community is improved and that their needs are taken into account.

Excluding persons with disabilities from active social participation in their communities makes them stigmatised and invisible. Leave no one behind.

Michiel Steenbeek has lived and worked for CBM in almost every country in East Africa. For over 30 years, the 63-year-old Dutch physiotherapist has been helping children with disabilities in Africa on behalf of CBM. In this interview, he talks about the current need and an invention he developed - the Steenbeek splint - which provides affordable treatment for clubfoot.

Last month, CBM Ethiopia received an official recognition letter from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MoLSA) in Ethiopia. This is an act of appreciation for CBM’s contribution to the development of the 2nd UNCRPD Report for Ethiopia, as well as for our leading role in the Disability INGOs Network (DINGO).

Exceptional commitment to inclusion, accessibility, universal design; this is CBM’s Vietnam project which brings home the 2022 Zero Project Award today. The award celebrates CBM’s work in Vietnam which builds disability inclusive and disaster prepared communities.

The savings model has provided Haitians with an opportunity to mobilise funds and build their businesses to secure their livelihoods.

Eliminating Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) such as lymphatic filariasis, trachoma and onchocerciasis is critical because if left unchecked or untreated, they can cause lifelong disabilities.

Every three minutes, a child is born with clubfoot, resulting in approximately 180,000 babies affected each year. Untreated clubfoot stands as one of the primary causes of disability. However, there is hope.

Results of a trial published in Lancet Global Health this month could pave the way for significant improvements in treatment for glaucoma in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Exceptional commitment to inclusion, accessibility, universal design; this is CBM’s Vietnam project which brings home the 2022 Zero Project Award today. The award celebrates CBM’s work in Vietnam which builds disability inclusive and disaster prepared communities.

This is the 4th year of the UN International Day of Education, on 24 January. This year the theme is "Changing Course, Transforming Education".

Together with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, CBM calls on the public to take time to care for their eyes. CBM asks governments and institutions to take action to ensure that eye care is accessible, inclusive and affordable to everyone everywhere.

Targeting more than eight million people, project activities will ensure that people have access to effective eye care and that those who are permanently affected by visual impairment receive the support and opportunities they need.

CBM alongside other international organisations is part of a project that puts persons with disabilities at the centre of humanitarian preparedness and response. With this project we hope to build and strengthen capacity in inclusive humanitarian action and inclusive disaster preparedness through the active inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Earlier this year, CBM along with its local partner Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children (HRDC) organised a mobile health and rehabilitation camp in Nepal.

CBM has published our Inclusive Eye Health Annual Report 2022. CBM will continue to work with partners to ensure that people with visual impairments receive the eye health care they need so that they can achieve their full potential.

More than 1.3 billion people in the world experience significant disability. That's 1 in 6 of us. Yet persons with disabilities still face many unacceptable health inequities. These include earlier death (20 years), double risk of developing certain health conditions, and limitations in day-to-day functioning.

An interview with 29-year old Nirmala Puri, who works as a Multi-Skilled Rehabilitation Assistant in the CBM supported ‘Inclusive Development of Children’ (IDC) project, which is being implemented by our partner Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children (HRDC) in Nepal.

"My students' progress is my motivation, and it is priceless," says Sami. As a Braille teacher, she does not just solve the learning puzzle for her students, she reaches out to anyone who wants to learn Braille.

The bacteria that cause the NTD trachoma is spread by both direct and indirect contact with an affected person's eyes or nose. Poor sanitation, crowded living conditions and insufficient clean water and toilets also increase the spread of the disease.

One of the greatest challenges in delivering effective eye care to people who live in low or middle income countries is that those living in more remote communities find it hard to access the care they need. Enter - CBM's partnership with Peek Vision.

Monsoon floods devastated large parts of Pakistan. CBM visited Matiari district, Sindh, to meet the flood-affected communities and participate in the emergency response.

CBM and its partners are using their expertise to help people, especially persons with disabilities, in great need as a result of Cyclone Freddy in Malawi.

As part of the partnership between CBM and Peek Vision, a new school eye health programme is underway in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is the first CBM-Peek programme to launch in the country and is being implemented by our partner ALERT Hospital in collaboration with district health and education authorities.

CBM brings hearing health for all to the poorest regions of the world.

Glaucoma cannot be cured; it can only be stopped - with medication and sometimes with surgery. Without timely treatment, those affected become irreversibly blind. CBM supports with examinations, medicines and operations.

As part of CBM’s celebration of World Sight Day - 14th October 2021- and its message on the importance of eye health for everyone, we are launching our Inclusive Eye Health Initiative Annual Report.

Between 2017 and 2021, CBM supported the administration of 270 million drug treatments against Neglected Tropical Diseases.

By focusing on making our work equitable, CBM ensures that people are provided with the resources they need to meet their specific needs.

World Sight Day (WSD) is an annual day of awareness and education around blindness and visual impairment. This year it will be celebrated on Thursday 14 October, with the theme ‘Love Your Eyes’.

Allocate sustainable financing for inclusive education so that all children with disabilities can learn.

Fellows are expected to bring their acquired knowledge and skills back to Ukraine.

CBM's annual report on our work to tackle Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) has just been launched during this year’s NTD NGO Conference.

CBM will showcase biblical and theological concepts that shape our understanding of inclusion and disability which motivate us to act for persons with disabilities.

CBM adopts a comprehensive approach to ear and hearing care (EHC), providing children and adults with access to ear, nose and throat diagnostic and treatment services.

The 12th Annual 'Neglected Tropical Diseases NGO' (NNN) Conference is taking place virtually on 7 - 9 September 2021.

German Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Dr. Bärbel Kofler, visited the Comprehensive Community-Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT), a Tanzanian health organisation co-founded by CBM to prevent disabilities.

Tetiana's story gives courage to many people! Since February 2022, she has been able to bring more than 5,000 people, mainly persons with disabilities, to safety from Ukraine.

More than 49 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo are at risk from Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). Community Health Workers supported by CBM help to distribute vital treatments every year in some of the hardest to reach communities.

"My desire to help is greater than my fear."

She is 10 years old and should be going to school. But Wajir has never read a book, never done a test in maths or biology. While the other children from the neighbourhood are learning and playing in the classrooms of the village school, Wajir is needed at home: she has to take care of her great-aunt. 

Our project "Phase 2 - Leave no one behind!" promotes the inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian aid. Using the global Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidance on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action, we are working to help humanitarian actors better understand the human rights-based approach to disability in their work.

"The power of youth is the commonwealth of the entire world" Kailash Satyarthi

CBM has been distributing preventive medicines for decades to protect people from neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Medicines act like a strong protective shield if they are administered regularly.

Among the many ongoing and new crises, persons with disabilities suffer the most when they cannot escape or access services, creating a crisis within a crisis. This is why CBM intervention is urgently needed.

Every 19 August, we celebrate World Humanitarian Day to honour humanitarian efforts made around the globe and to assert the need for supporting people in crisis. This year, we celebrate our local partner staff Esung Elizabeth Mbende, a humanitarian worker at the frontline of the conflict in Cameroon.

Focus on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the global development agenda, as they are both a large and a vulnerable group.

We are very happy to announce that CBM and our partners have been shortlisted for the Zero Project Award 2024 for three projects in Kenya, Guatemala, and Palestine.

CBM and its partner the University of Cape Town have just published a review of Universal Design Learning (UDL) in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs). With this review we hope to gather evidence to inform the development of capacity-building resources and materials for UDL in LMICs.

In these challenging times of pandemics, natural disasters and conflict, inclusive development for persons with disabilities is more important than ever. Learn more about how CBM has shaped the Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID) approach in our CBID Report 2022.

On 6 March 2020, Cameroon confirmed its first COVID-19 case. As the virus spread and the number of confirmed cases increased, the government decided to close all schools. More than two months after suspension of classes due to the coronavirus, final year students in primary school and secondary school returned to school in early June 2020.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has today, 23 July, adopted a Resolution committing the international community to eye care for the 1.1 billion people living with preventable sight loss by 2030.

Being part of something - that is inclusion. CBM CBID work ensures that the quality of life of persons with disabilities in the community is improved and that their needs are taken into account.

CBM supports the launch of the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2020 on inclusion and education – all means all.

We are launching an Inclusive Education Training Guide for CBM partners and other relevant stakeholders, designed to give participants the tools they need to train others. It has been prepared with country and regional governmental departments, NGOs and teacher training institutions in mind, but will have value for others working in project or programme management in the context of inclusive education.

CBM Zimbabwe Country Director, Ms. Deborah Tigere bagged two awards in the Directors category following nominations from Institute of Directors Zimbabwe (IODZ).

People with albinism live in constant danger and exclusion from daily life.

On 13 June 2020, CBM celebrates International Albinism Awareness Day. Our projects worldwide focus not just on medical assistance, but also on broad education and awareness-raising. Many people affected by albinism are more concerned about the exclusion they experience than the physical ailments. CBM advocates for their inclusion and active participation in all projects, so that they have the same opportunities as everyone else.

Dr. Honorine Nizeyimana received a CBM grant earlier this year and has already started training in Uganda to be an ophthalmologist. In conversation with the 34-year-old doctor from Burundi, she tells us what the job means to her.

The following case study is an extract from our ‘Locked Down but not Locked Out’ study – a reflection of CBM’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to provide support to out community-based partners based around the world.

Indonesia, a country exposed to a wide range of natural hazards, including earthquakes and tsunamis, will host the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction 2022 (GPDRR).

In these challenging times of pandemics, natural disasters and conflict, inclusive development for persons with disabilities is more important than ever. Learn more about how CBM has shaped the Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID) approach in our CBID Report 2022.

From 21-23 June 2021 CBM is participating in the World Community Development Conference (WCDC), a global gathering organised by the International Association for Community Development (IACD) to celebrate and share community development practice and scholarship from different countries. 

Globally, over 130 million people are at risk of trachoma and almost 2 million people are blind or visually impaired due to this bacterial eye infection. Without treatment, trachoma can lead to permanent blindness.

CBM, in partnership with GOAL Honduras and AMHBLI, will support treatment, physiotherapy, and provide medical aids for divers with disabilities.

CBM has committed to a process of reflection during the COVID 19 pandemic, drawing from both the lived experiences of people with disabilities and community workers (the PULSE Study), and from a reflection on our own response in support of our community-based partners (Locked Down, Not Locked Out).

With the support of CBM and partners, health systems in Kenya will be strengthened so that millions can have better access to eye care. More than 8 million people will benefit from this project.

A programme for the treatment for lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis has reached parts of South Sudan which have not hitherto benefited from drug interventions.

CBM commits €2.1 million in humanitarian aid for persons with disabilities in Ukraine and neighbouring countries over the next 12 months.

For 20 years, Katharina Pförtner (recently retired CBM Global and Regional Advisor for Latin America) campaigned for inclusion in Latin America on behalf of CBM. She has seen and experienced a lot in the past 20 years – some sad experiences as well as hopeful ones. She is now freshly retired - but boredom is a long way off.

The second Global Disability Summit was a pivotal event that called on governments, businesses, development professionals, and Organisations of People with Disabilities (OPDs) to make binding commitments to change and do more to include over one billion people with disabilities, many of whom live in some of the world’s poorest countries. All regions of the world were represented, and 44 countries made approximately 1,300 commitments by representatives from all stakeholder groups. The summit’s success will be measured by the actions that follow. Three members of the CBM team explain why the summit was so important and the next steps.

CBM has been selected by the United Nations (UN) to undertake a comprehensive assessment on the UN’s level of disability inclusion in their systems in Zimbabwe.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) are especially important in the elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) like Trachoma which causes blindness. In this interview, Girija Sankar, CBM’s Head of NTD Programmes discusses the importance of water in beating NTDs.

CBM staff appointed as the Vice President to the board of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB).

CBM’s work in Ethiopia has provided 250,000 people with water and informed 1.8 million people on the cause, prevention and treatment of trachoma and the importance of facial cleanliness and environmental sanitation.

2020 has been declared as the ‘International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife’. Today, more than ever, we are witnessing the vital role played by frontline hospital staff, especially nurses and other hospital workers in providing health care around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses are at the forefront of the pandemic response, providing high-quality treatment and care.

A mass drug administration (MDA) to fight trachoma, which is supported by CBM and Sightsavers is due to recommence in May 2021.

CBM supports children, women, and men in Kenya with food, water, and school meals.

Dr. Mchikirwa Msina is one of very few ophthalmologists in Tanzania who can operate on children with cataracts. Day after day, she saves the eyesight of her little patients.

The CBM supported project in Tanzania- The Kilimanjaro Glaucoma Intervention Programme – is conducting a randomized controlled trial to establish the efficacy in the treatment of glaucoma of laser surgery versus the more traditional use of Timolol eye drops.

On 7 April 2021, World Health Day will be commemorated globally, under the theme “Together for a fairer, healthier world”. This year we transport you to Uganda, where our partner provides eye care on four wheels.

By 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people will be living with some degree of hearing loss, at least 700 million of whom will require rehabilitation services. This World Hearing Day – observed every year on March 3rd – CBM is encouraging everyone to check their own ears and take care of their hearing health long term. Diego Santana-Hernández, Senior Ear and Hearing Care Advisor at CBM explains why.

Since 2018, CBM is working in partnership with the social enterprise organisation Peek Vision Ltd. to carry out visual acuity tests (test to determine whether each eye can see clearly) using a smartphone, thus enabling us to reach people in the most remote regions of CBM project countries.

Exceptional commitment to inclusion, accessibility, universal design; this is CBM’s Vietnam project which brings home the 2022 Zero Project Award today. The award celebrates CBM’s work in Vietnam which builds disability inclusive and disaster prepared communities.

In 2020, CBM alongside its long-standing partners in India – Sundarban Social Development Centre (SSDC) and The Leprosy Mission Trust India (TLMTI) – conducted a 7-month long humanitarian project from June to December 2020 to provide relief aid for those affected by Cyclone Amphan.

Christian Blind Mission supports new strategy for eyesight.

This is a personal account by Paew Rattanamongkol who lives in Thailand. Thanks to CBM partner Daughters of Charity, Paew was part of a project to strengthen the rights of persons with disabilities and is now a community leader assisting people with disabilities and improving their social participation at local community levels.

This February governments, businesses, development professionals, and Organisations of People with Disabilities come together at the Global Disability Summit to commit to change and do more to include over one billion people with disabilities, many of whom live in some of the world’s poorest countries.

The MacArthur Foundation today unveiled CBM and coalition partners submitted one of the highest-scoring proposals, designated as the Top 100, in its 100&Change competition for a single $100 million grant to help solve one of the world's most critical social challenges.

CBM in India is part of a core group led by the Indian Government and the University of Melbourne to develop a national competency-based training programme for field workers in Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID).

Where is the last mile? Is it where concrete ends, and dirt begins? Where the buses stop and motos go? Where women walk miles with babes in arms tucked into multi coloured wax cloths? I had the opportunity to reflect on this term that we bandy about in our work in NTD prevention as my colleagues and I bounced through miles of rainwater inundated mud roads in Northern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The World Hearing Day is celebrated annually on 3 March. The aim of this day is to raise global awareness among the general public and policy makers about hearing loss and ear and hearing care (EHC).

On International Women's Day 2021, CBM calls for strengthening the potential of women with disabilities. Read the inspiring account of Siata Konaté, who received a training in rice cultivation and now runs a cooperative of 26 rice farmers.

CBM marks World NTD Day - 30th January 2022- Celebrating progress and taking action to #EndtheNeglect and #BeatNTDs

World Hearing Day is observed annually on 3rd March. For 2021 the theme is “Hearing Care for all: Screen, Rehabilitate, Communicate”.

This is the 4th year of the UN International Day of Education, on 24 January. This year the theme is "Changing Course, Transforming Education".

The Commission Report was published last week and highlights that improving eye health has immediate and substantial benefits.

A normal day in the life of Dr. Slyvain el-Khoury who, until recently, was the CBM ophthalmologist working at the Kabgayi Clinic in Rwanda.

In this article, Devex speaks to CBM Director of Inclusive Eye Health and Neglected Tropical Diseases Dr. Babar Qureshi about how CBM is working with partners to expand access to quality eye care in the 35 countries where we operate.

In this interview, eye health expert Dr. Babar Qureshi explains why Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are often neglected and what can be done to change this.