CBM Annual Report 2023:
379 aid projects in 40 countries
©CBM/Hayduk
In 2023, CBM supported 62.2 million people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Together with our partners, CBM reached around 62.2 million people in 2023. Of these, 10.4 million people received comprehensive assistance through various services, including medical treatment, rehabilitation measures, education, livelihood security and emergency aid. That is 1.6 million more than in the previous year. This comprehensive approach demonstrates the tangible difference CBM makes in people’s lives.
CBM’s work was made possible with funding support from strong partners. Of the 379 projects, 107 were co-financed by public donors, increasing the support provided by CBM severalfold.
These include the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The German Federal Foreign Office, The Lions Foundation Germany (Stiftung der Deutschen Lions), the European Union, the United Nations and the United States Agency for International Development.
Additionally, The END Fund, Sightsavers, Accelerate donor consortium (funding managed by Sightsavers), ARISE funding consortium (funding managed by the END Fund), The Task Force for Global Health, Waldesian Church, and Fondation Assistance Internationale supported our NTD.
To implement the projects, CBM works with 257 partner organisations, tailoring interventions to local conditions and providing skills development and infrastructure support.
Recognised by the WHO and with consultative status at the UN, CBM is committed to the "2030 IN SIGHT" strategy for global access to eye care by 2030.
Eye Health: In 2023, CBM continued its long-standing commitment to ending preventable blindness, reaching more than 8.9 million people with ophthalmological care and facilitating over 253,000 cataract surgeries. This enabled children like Josué from the Democratic Republic of Congo to see and finally go to school.
©CBM
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs): More than 51 million people received medication for NTDs through the Mass Drug Administration in 2023. Pasi from DRC was one of the people who received trachoma trichiasis surgery. Over 11,000 eyelid surgeries were carried out, offering hope to those at risk of losing their sight.
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Humanitarian action: In 2023, CBM and its local partners provided relief and recovery efforts to 136,000 people affected by natural disasters. For example, during the devastating drought in the Turkana district, a mother named Akuuta from Kenya and her children received support.
©CBM/Gitonga
Community-based inclusive development: In 2023, over 752,000 people participated in CBID projects. More than 87,000 persons with disabilities, like Aboudou, a farmer from Togo, benefited from training, access to the labour market, or financial assistance.
©CBM/Happuc
Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DiDRR): CBM partners trained 30,219 participants, organisational representatives, and 14,510 community members on DiDRR. A significant highlight of 2023 was the implementation of safeguarding practices to protect the ecosystem from extreme weather conditions caused by climate change in the Batticaloa district of Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province.
©CBM/Jayawardena
Physical rehabilitation: 194,000 people received rehabilitation for physical disabilities from CBM. This includes Patience from Rwanda, who spent a year at Gahini Hospital undergoing multiple surgeries to correct the impairment in his legs. Today he painstakingly takes his first steps towards full recovery.
©CBM/argum/Thomas Einberger
Inclusive Education: CBM also improves access to quality education in Pakistan by supporting children like Asavir with accessible learning tools. Asavir from Pakistan received a 4X telescope, a low-vision device that eases her reading, comprehension, and participation in class. Last year, a total of 200,398 children and young people received an education in CBM-supported inclusive education facilities and schools.
©CBM/LRBT
Ear and hearing care: Over 189,000 people with ear diseases received medical assistance from CBM. These interventions play a crucial role in preventing and treating disabilities, highlighting the importance of addressing individual and environmental factors to create a more inclusive society.
©CBM/Bothe