BOSTON—Sightsavers has been named as one of seven “top charities” by charity evaluator GiveWell for its work on treating children for parasitic infections, also called "deworming.” The announcement from GiveWell, a nonprofit that conducts in-depth analysis to find and recommend outstanding charities to donors, comes just in time for the 2016 giving season.

GiveWell recommends only few charities each year and deems the deworming programs Sightsavers supports as having a “strong track record and excellent cost-effectiveness.”

The elimination and control of five neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), some of which cause severe disfigurement and disability, is a core part of Sightsavers’ work in 24 sub-Saharan Africa countries. Sightsavers also works in over 30 countries in Africa and Asia to help blind people regain their sight and prevent others from going blind unnecessarily, as well as working to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

“Our NTD programs, which include de-worming and treating several disabling parasitical infections, are incredibly cost-effective,” said Caroline Harper, CEO of Sightsavers. “Sightsavers is working toward the elimination of a number of NTDs in line with the World Health Organization’s roadmap, and last year we supported the delivery of 142 million treatments, where possible as part of integrated programs treating several diseases together.

“We are very excited to have been rated so highly by GiveWell. Working with them will allow us to have even greater impact for affected communities in Africa—both by scaling up existing programs and expanding our reach with new ones.”

Sightsavers Inc. is a registered 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 47-4657747) that works in more than 30 developing countries to prevent blindness, restore sight and advocate for social inclusion and equal rights for people with disabilities.