Looking Bravely: Eliminating Blinding Trachoma in Mali

A man with dark skin sits on a bench outside of a building. He is writing in a small notebook. A woman with dark skin dressed in white scrubs sits across from him.We recently spoke with Benoit Dembélé who is our Regional Technical Advisor for Neglected Tropical Diseases in West Africa. Benoit helps Helen Keller Intl’s teams across Africa ensure quality treatment to prevent and eliminate neglected tropical diseases.[...]

A Friendly Competition Helps Eliminate Trachoma

Kamalen village benefits from a borehole and water tower from Helen Keller.Hawa Sissoko is a housewife in Kéréko, a small village in Mali. She, like many of her neighbors, would have to walk more than 10 miles each way to have access to clean water. Without clean water, diseases like trachoma can run rampant, and serious illness[...]

Trachoma Eliminated as a Public Health Problem in Mali

A healthcare worker examines the eyes of a young person. They are standing outside in a village.The World Health Organization announced the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in Mali.  Though not the first country to eliminate trachoma, this milestone is particularly extraordinary due to the scale of the disease. A 1996 survey found[...]

Looking Bravely: Breastfeeding Education in Nepal

Group of women and infants sitting in a semi circleWe recently spoke with Nisha Sharma, a specialist in child feeding in Nepal. Since joining Helen Keller Intl in 2010, Nisha has conducted research about breastfeeding practices, the marketing of baby formula, and other issues with the dual goals of[...]