Ivory Coast
- 22m Population [1]
- 3.4m People with disability [2]
- 46% People live in poverty [3]
Ivory Coast, in West Africa, has an elected government after more than a decade of armed rebellion and violence which split the nation in two.
Once known as a model of stability, efforts are now being made to ensure lasting peace through rebuilding the economy and infrastructure and reforming its security forces.
Despite being the world’s largest exporter of cocoa beans, improving the country’s services will be a major task. It is one of the world’s poorest countries at 171st out of 188 countries in the UN’s most recent Human Development Index.
A 2017 CBM-supported study, in three regions of Ivory Coast, found that 3% of people aged 50 or over were blind and in over 60% of cases, sight could have been restored with treatment such as cataract surgery.
CBM has been working with partners in Ivory Coast for over two decades to treat and prevent blindness and help children with disabilities go to school.
- [1] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2015.
- [2] 15% of population - WHO estimate that 15% of the world’s population live with some form of disability.
- [3] World Bank.
In action
Improving access to cataract surgery in Ivory Coast
Cataracts cause about half of all blindness. They can be easily treated, but for most people in Ivory Coast the…
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New survey highlights need for improved services to prevent blindness in Ivory Coast
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