Where We Work

Tanzania

Helen Keller Intl partners with families, communities, and the Government of Tanzania to address preventable causes of blindness, including trachoma and cataracts, by training healthcare heroes to screen and help patients get the sight-saving surgeries they need to reclaim their lives, and ensuring that children under the age of five receive twice-yearly vitamin A supplementation.

1 out of 3 children under the age of 5 are stunted due to poor nutrition.

Cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss in Tanzania, responsible for more than 50% of all blindness cases and impacting more than 167,000 people.

More than 12 million people are at risk of irreversible blindness because of trachoma infections.

Together, we help communities create lasting change by:

Delivering twice-yearly vitamin A supplementation to children under the age of 5 to ensure good health and combat malnutrition.

Training case finders to identify and refer cataract patients and supporting clinicians with education and resources to reverse blindness caused by cataracts.

Addressing the preventable causes of blindness by training health teachers to promote improved hygiene and sanitation practices among students.

Last year, we helped millions build lasting change

Reached 100%—more than 492,000—of children under the age of 5 with two doses of vitamin A, protecting their vision and health.

Supported cataract screening of nearly 5,100 individuals, identifying nearly 4,000 cases of cataracts and 892 cases of trachoma, of which 3703 received surgery in at least one eye.

Reached 700,000 children from more than 950 primary schools with water, sanitation, and hygiene program aimed at preventing trachoma through behavioral changes.