Commissioners

The Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health is the work of an interdisciplinary group of 73 academics and national programme leaders and practitioners from 25 countries. The Commission was co-chaired by Prof Matthew Burton and Prof Hannah Faal. All Commissioners were supported by their employing organisations to undertake this work.

Matthew Burton

Co-Chair

Professor Matthew Burton is the Director of the International Centre for Eye Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellowship and an honorary consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital. He is the co-chair of the Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health. He leads a large international research group of clinicians and scientists, working to improve eye health in low and middle-income countries. His research work spans ocular infection, technology for eye care and health systems. He previously worked as an ophthalmologist in The Gambia and Tanzania for several years.

Hannah B Faal

Co-Chair

Professor Hannah Faal is based at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital in Calabar Nigeria. She has a five-decade long career as ophthalmologist, eye care programme consultant and programme development adviser, mainly with Sightsavers International. Her work has focused on comprehensive eye care programming, human resource and health systems development across sub-Saharan Africa. Current interests include strengthening research systems and climate action. She was President of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness 1999-2004.

Jacqueline Ramke

Dr Jacqueline (Jacqui) Ramke is Associate Professor of Global Eye Health at the International Centre for Eye Health (LSHTM) and an Associate Professor at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland, New Zealand. Before completing her PhD in health equity, Jacqui worked for eye health NGOs in the Pacific region, living in Timor-Leste for several years. Her research is focused on strengthening the collection and use of health information and seeking solutions to promote equity in eye health.

Ana Patricia Marques

Dr Ana Patricia Marques is a health economist based at the International Centre for Eye Health, LSHTM. She holds a PhD from Policy, Management and Health Administration at the National School of Public Health – Nova University of Lisbon (NOVA- NSPH), where she did post-doctoral health economics research for 10 years. Her research is focussed on the economics of eye health

Rupert Bourne

Professor Rupert Bourne is Professor of Ophthalmology at Anglia Ruskin University, and Consultant Ophthalmologist at Cambridge University Hospital, where he directs the Cambridge Eye Research Centre. Research interests: glaucoma, global eye health. He chairs NIHR Ophthalmology Specialty Group, responsible for NHS research delivery. As Coordinator of Vision Loss Expert Group of the GBD Study, he oversees research into global prevalence rates of vision loss, partnering with the World Health Organization

Brandon Ah Tong

Brandon Ah Tong is the Head of Public Policy & Advocacy with The Fred Hollows Foundation based in Melbourne Australia. He completed a Bachelor of Social Science (Policy and Research) at RMIT University in 2008. He has extensive policy experience in eye health, previously the Director of Policy and Advocacy with the Australian peak body, Vision 2020 Australia and the Public Affairs Manager with national blindness service provider, Vision Australia.

Simon Arunga

Dr Simon Arunga is a consultant ophthalmologist and lecturer at Mbarara University of Science and Technology in Uganda. He is the president of the Ophthalmology Society of Uganda. He did his PhD through the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and is conducts research as a post-doctoral research fellow at through the International Centre for Eye Health on multi-center trials on the treatment of microbial keratitis.

Damodar Bachani

Dr Damodar Bachani, is Deputy Project Director, John Snow India managing a multi-country USAID funded “Building Health Cities” Project. Formerly, he was Director Professor and Head, Department of Community Medicine, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi and Deputy Commissioner, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. He managed National Program for Prevention and Control of Blindness and the World Bank assisted Cataract Blindness Control Project during 1992-2004.

Covadonga Bascaran

Dr Covadonga Bascaran is a Clinical Research Fellow at the International Centre for Eye Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, working on global eye health education and research activities. She is the technical lead for the Diabetic Retinopathy Network (DR-NET), an international network of diabetic retinopathy programmes including over 22 programmes in 15 low and middle income countries.

Andrew Bastawrous

Dr Andrew Bastawrous is an Ophthalmologist, Clinical Associate Professor at the International Centre for Eye Health (LSHTM) and Founder & CEO of Peek Vision. He has worked in numerous countries, lived in Kenya and is now based in the UK. Andrew is a TED Fellow, Ashoka Fellow, UBS Global Visionary, Rolex Laureate and World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.

Karl Blanchet

Professor Karl Blanchet is Professor in Humanitarian Public Health and Health Systems Research at University of Geneva and The Graduate Institute. He has studied eye health systems in low income countries and has developed the Eye Health System Assessment tool when working at the International Centre for Eye Health at LSHTM.

Tasanee Braithwaite

Dr Tas Braithwaite, is a Consultant Ophthalmologist in the Medical Eye Unit at St Thomas’ Hospital, London. She trained in epidemiology and health economics (MPH & Health Economics, Johns Hopkins University; DM, University of Oxford). She led the National Eye Survey of Trinidad and Tobago, has served as a Consultant to the World Health Organisation, is co-investigator in the Global Burden of Disease Study, and a Contact Editor for Cochrane Eyes and Vision.

John Buchan

Dr John Buchan is the Programme Director for the MSc Public Health for Eye Care at the International Centre for Eye Health, LSHTM. He also works clinically as a Consultant Ophthalmologist delivering Emergency Eye Care and adult cataract services in Leeds, UK. He is the Clinical Lead of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists National Ophthalmology Database Cataract Audit and has an interest in the environmental impact of eye care globally.

Anasaini T Cama

Dr Anasaini Cama studied medicine at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji. She completed her Master of Science (Ophthalmology) from University of Melbourne; Postgraduate Diploma in Ophthalmology and Postgraduate Diploma in Vitreo-Retina and Diabetes from Fiji National University. She is a consultant for The Fred Hollows Foundation’s Towards Trachoma Elimination in the Pacific Program.

Margarida Chagunda

Dr Margarida Chagunda is a senior ophthalmologist at Matola Provincial Hospital in Mozambique. She is also an advisor of the National Eye Care Programme for the Ministry of Health. She holds a chair position with the certification committee of the Mozambican College of Ophthalmologists and is co-chair for the Southern African region with the IAPB. She also supervises third year ophthalmology residents.

Chimgee Chuluunkhuu

Dr.Chimgee Chuluunkhuu heads the Mongolian Ophthalmology Society and is the Country Director for Orbis International, leading innovative programs focusing on providing eye care services to low density rural populations, strengthening services for ROP and DR screening in the country. Dr.Chimgee received a MSc Public Health for Eye Care from the LSHTM.

Nathan Congdon

Professor Nathan Congdon is Ulverscroft Chair of Global Eye Health at Queen’s University Belfast, Director of Research for ORBIS International, and a professor at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, China. His work focuses on improving the quality of eye care in low-resource settings and documenting specific impacts of vision care for advocacy purposes. He received degrees from Princeton and Cambridge in Chinese, and medicine and public health from Johns Hopkins.

Andrew Cooper

Dr Andrew Cooper is the Director of Programmes at the Vision Catalyst Fund and previously was Director of Programmes at the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, where he oversees major programmes eye health systems development. He studied business administration, psychology and sociology at the University of Northampton, followed by a MSc in Social Analysis at London South Bank University. In 2006 he achieved a PhD at London South Bank University by completing original research into gay identities, with the thesis being published as a book by Routledge in 2013 titled ‘Changing Gay Male Identities’.

Jessica Crofts-Lawrence

Jessica Crofts-Lawrence is the Head of Policy and Advocacy at the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, the overarching alliance for the eye health sector. She leads IAPB’s engagement with international institutions, including the United Nations and the World Health Organization, and oversees their major global advocacy campaigns. She studied law at the University of Surrey and has a Masters in International Relations from the University of Cambridge.

William Dean

Dr William Dean, is a Consultant Ophthalmologist in Cheltenham, UK; Clinical Research Fellow, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; and Honorary Senior Lecturer, University of Cape Town. He studied medicine in Leicester UK, and holds and Masters in Surgical Education at Imperial College London and a PhD on simulated ophthalmic surgical education in sub-Saharan Africa from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

Alastair Denniston

Professor Alastair Denniston is a consultant ophthalmologist at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, and the Centre for Regulatory Science and Innovation. He leads a programme of work in health hdata research and the application of digital healthcare to improve patient care in the ‘real world’. He is Director of INSIGHT, the UK’s Health Data Research Hub for Eye Health. He jointly leads the SPIRIT-AI and CONSORT-AI initiative and is a Member of the UK Government’s Regulatory Horizons Council.

Joshua R. Ehrlich

Dr Joshua R. Ehrlich is Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Co-Director of the Jerome Jacobson Program in International Ophthalmology at the University of Michigan in the United States. He studied medicine at Cornell University and public health at Columbia University and is a fellowship-trained glaucoma specialist. His population health research is focused on ophthalmic epidemiology and addressing the impact of vision impairment on health, disability, and well-being in older adults.

Paul Emerson

Dr Paul Emerson is the Director of the International Trachoma Initiative, a program of the Task Force for Global Health of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He has served on the International Coalition for Trachoma Control Executive Group for ten years and been the chair of the WHO AFRO Expanded Special Program for the Elimination of NTDs in Africa since 2016

Jennifer Evans

Dr Jennifer Evans is an epidemiologist and associate professor based at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. She holds MSc and PhD in epidemiology, and specialises in evidence synthesis. She is one of the co-ordinating editors of Cochrane Eyes and Vision, which is an international network of individuals working to prepare, maintain and promote access to systematic reviews of interventions to treat or prevent eye diseases or visual impairment.

Allen Foster

Professor Allen Foster obtained an Honours degree in Medicine from the University of Birmingham in 1973, before specialist training in Ophthalmology in Birmingham and Cambridge. He worked for CBM, an international NGO, as a doctor in Tanzania for 9 years, then as their Medical Director for 20 years before being appointed President and CEO of CBM in 2006. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and Professor of International Eye Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Kevin Frick

Kevin D. Frick is Professor and Vice Dean for Education at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School with a joint appointment at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He studied health policy and administration at Penn State and economics and health services research at the University of Michigan where he earned his PhD. He has been working on the economics of eye care for two decades.

David Friedman

Professor David Friedman is the Alfred and Diane Kaneb Professor of Ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and the Director of the Glaucoma Division and the Medical Director of Clinical Research. His research has focused on angle closure glaucoma, ophthalmic epidemiology, and glaucoma therapy with an emphasis on medication adherence among glaucoma patients. He previously was the Director of the Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology, a WHO collaborating center.

João M. Furtado

Dr João M. Furtado is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil, where he also received his MD and PhD degrees. He is part of the Vision Loss Expert Group and currently serves as a Technical Advisor for the World Health Organization.

Michael Gichangi

Dr Michael Gichangi trained as an Ophthalmologist at the University of Nairobi and subsequently an MSc Public Health for Eye Care from London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. He is a Senior Deputy Director of Medical Services and Head of Ophthalmic Services Unit at Ministry of Health Kenya, where he facilitates implementation of Eye health policies. In 2019 he completed a fellowship in Global Health Leadership, with Afya Bora Consortium.

Stephen Gichuhi

Dr Stephen Gichuhi is a Consultant Ophthalmologist & Senior Lecturer at the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Nairobi, Kenya. He studied medicine and ophthalmology at the University of Nairobi. He did a Masters in Epidemiology and PhD at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. He is drawn to the teaching and practice of evidence-based medicine.

Clare Gilbert

Professor Clare Gilbert is an ophthalmologist who has worked at the International Centre for Eye Health since 1990 and was the co-director until 2020. Her main focus is on blinding eye diseases in children in low- and middle-income countries, glaucoma in Africa and primary eye care. Her work entails research, teaching and program development, and she provides technical advice to a range of organisations, including USAID’s Child Blindness Programme and the Vision Impact Institute.

Suzanne S Gilbert

Dr Suzanne S Gilbert is the Senior Director for Research at the Seva Foundation based in Berkeley, California. Suzanne completed her MPH and PhD at the University of Michigan. She is an architect of the 1980 landmark Nepal Blindness Survey and has contributed toward global eye care and human resource development during the decades since. Suzanne is President of the International Society of Epidemiological and Geographical Ophthalmology.

Reeta Gurung

Dr Reeta Gurung is the CEO and Chief of cornea services in Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, Kathmandu Nepal. She studied medicine at 1st Pavlov medical institute, Leningrad, USSR. She serves as the member of the Apex body for Eye Health at the Ministry of Health and population, Government of Nepal.

Esmael Habtamu

Dr Esmael Habtamu is a public eye health academic in eye care research and service delivery. He completed a master’s degree and PhD from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. He is Assistant Professor at LSHTM, UK and Bahirdar University in Ethiopia and Co-Founder and Chief Executive Director of Eyu-Ethiopia, a Non-governmental Eye Health Research, Training & Service Centre.

Peter Holland

Peter Holland is Chief Executive of the International Association for the Prevention of Blindness. After 10 years developing primary care services in the NHS in south London, he joined the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, where his roles included postings to India and Afghanistan, senior policy roles on counter narcotics and negotiating international intellectual property agreements. He studied history at Cambridge University and has an MSc in Social Policy and Planning in Developing Countries from the London School of Economics.

Jost Jonas

Professor Jost Jonas is a comprehensive ophthalmologist and clinical scientist, chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at Heidelberg University, Germany. He is editor-in-chief of the British Journal of Ophthalmology and Asian-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology, member of the German Academy of Science, Glaucoma Research Society, Macula Society, Retina Society, and Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis, and honorary Member of the French Ophthalmological Society and Asia-Pacific Vitreoretinal Society, and received the International Gold Award of the Chinese Ophthalmologic Society.

Iain Jones

Iain Jones is the Senior Global Technical Lead for Economics at Sightsavers. He has over 20 years’ experience working as an economist in international development and global health, with a focus on health systems strengthening, infectious disease control and health financing. In 2018, Iain joined Sightsavers, providing strategic and technical leadership on economics on the elimination of avoidable blindness and promoting the rights of people with disabilities.

Pearse Keane

Dr Pearse Keane is a consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London and an associate professor at University College London Institute of Ophthalmology. He is originally from Ireland and received his medical degree from University College Dublin, graduating in 2002. He leads a clinical research group at UCL aimed at the development and application of artificial intelligence in healthcare, using ophthalmology as an exemplar.

Lisa Keay

Lisa Keay is Head of School at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Sydney and Honorary Professorial Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health, UNSW Sydney. She is a public health researcher, with expertise in ophthalmic epidemiology, health promotion and injury prevention. She is an Optometrist, with a PhD and MPH from UNSW Sydney and postdoctoral research fellowship from the Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University.

Rohit C Khanna

Dr Rohit C Khanna is Director, Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye care, and Associate Director at L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India. He is an ophthalmologist, holds an MSc in Community Eye Health from LSHTM and a MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is also a Senior Visiting Fellow at the University of New South Wales, Australia.

Peng Khaw

Professor Sir Peng Tee Khaw is Director, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London. He is Director, Research and Development at Moorfields. He was President of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). He has published over 500 papers, chapters and books, and has helped raise £120+ million for eye research and facilities. He was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2013.

Hannah Kuper

Professor Hannah Kuper is the Director of the International Centre for Evidence in Disability, a research group at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Her main research interest is disability in low- and middle-income countries, with a particular focus on access to healthcare for people with disabilities. She is an epidemiologist by training, and received her doctorate from Harvard University in 2000.

Fatima Kyari

Dr Fatima Kyari is an ophthalmologist at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital and Director of the Institute for Advanced Medical Research and Training (IAMRAT), College of Health Sciences, University of Abuja, coordinating multidisciplinary medical research and education including postgraduate Masters and Doctoral training. She is also an Associate Professor of Ophthalmic Epidemiology at the ICEH, LSHTM, leading the development of a new Africa Glaucoma Clinical and Research Network.

Van C. Lansigh

Dr Van C. Lansingh is the Chief Medical Officer of Help Me See (USA); and Director of International Affairs, Communications, and Institutional Development of the Instituto Mexicano de Oftalmología (Mexico); and a Voluntary Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami (USA). He studied medicine at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and completed a PhD in Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne (Australia).

Islay Mactaggart

Dr Islay Mactaggart is an Assistant Professor in Disability & Global Health who works across the International Centre for Eye Health and International Centre for Evidence in Disability at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Her work focuses on quantitative methods for measuring the prevalence of impairment and disability, and highlighting the participation restrictions people with disabilities too frequently experience. As part of this, she leads ICEH’s work programme on the Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness.

Milka Mafwiri

Dr Milka Mafwiri is Associate professor in ophthalmology at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, and is an ophthalmic surgeon at Muhimbili National Hospital. She completed Medical school and Postgraduate Studies in Ophthalmology at the Faculty of Medicine-University of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania. She holds a MSc in Community Eye Health from LSHTM.

Cikũ Mathenge

Professor Cikũ Mathenge is a Consultant Ophthalmologist and Founder and Director of Training and Research at the Rwanda International Institute of Ophthalmology in Kigali, Rwanda. She graduated as an ophthalmologist from the University of Nairobi and later completed her MSc at University College London and her PhD at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine She is a Professor of Ophthalmology at University of Rwanda and a Member of the board of Trustees of the International Council of Ophthalmology

Ian McCormick

Ian McCormick is a Research Fellow at the International Centre for Eye Health. He studied optometry and holds a MSc in Public Health for Eye Care. He works on the Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness and his research interest is improving the collection and use of eye health data to support equitable, quality eye care worldwide.

Priya Morjaria

Dr Priya Morjaria is an Assistant Professor of International Eye Health at LSHTM and Head of Global Programme Design at Peek Vision. She completed her Optometry training from City University, London in 2005 and the MSc in Public Health for Eye Care in 2009. The focus of her PhD at LSHTM was on the evidence to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of school eye health programmes.

Lizette Mowatt

Dr Lizette Mowatt is the Head of Ophthalmology at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), Jamaica. She is the programme coordinator of the Ophthalmology Residency programme at the University of the West Indies (UWI). She studied Medicine at UWI, then her Ophthalmology residency, including her vitreoretinal fellowship at the Birmingham and Midland Eye Center (BMEC), UK, before returning to Jamaica.

Debbie Muirhead

Debbie Muirhead is Senior Health Economist at The Fred Hollows Foundation and holds an honorary position at the Nossal Institute of Global Health, University of Melbourne. She has worked across health financing and economic evaluation research, policy and technical advice in governments, research and donor organisations for 25 years including in Southern Africa and South East Asia. She holds a MSc in Health Economics from University of York.

G.V.S Murthy

Professor G.V.S. Murthy is Director of the Indian Institute of Public Health, Hyderabad, India and Professor of Public Health Eye Care & Disability at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK. His work revolves around improving global health and fostering international partnerships to improve health of populations. He has contributed extensively to research, policy formulation and program implementation in many low- and middle-income countries.

Nyawira Mwangi

Dr Nyawira Mwangi is principal lecturer at the Kenya Medical Training College, Nairobi, Kenya. Her work focuses on diabetic retinopathy, specifically on strengthening health systems for the control of diabetic retinopathy. In 2020, she completed her PhD at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, on the thesis: ‘Diabetic Retinopathy in Kenya: Assessment of services and interventions to improve access.’ She also works on equity in eye health.

Daksha Patel

Dr Daksha Patel, is an Ophthalmologist with Public health and higher education training. She has led the education programmes at the International Centre for Eye Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, since 2000, as the MSc programme director and as e-learning director for Public health for eye care. She is a Fellow with the Higher education academy and the Centre for Distance Education at the University of London, worldwide.

Tunde Peto

Professor Tunde Peto is Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at Queen’s University Belfast, Clinical Lead of the Diabetic Eye Screening Programme in Northern Ireland and a Consultant Ophthalmologist in Medical Retina. Specialising in chronic blinding diseases, ophthalmic image analysis and ophthalmic epidemiology. She is internationally renowned for her expertise in setting up and managing diabetic retinopathy screening and training programmes. She trained in Hungary and Australia and spent 15 years at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London before taking up her current position in Belfast

Babar Qureshi

Dr Muhammad Babar Qureshi is the Director of Inclusive Eye Health and Neglected Tropical Diseases at CBM. He studied medicine in Nigeria, specialised in ophthalmology in Austria and Public Health Ophthalmology in the UK. He is currently the board member of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), as well as Chair’s the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) Alliance for Trachoma Control and the Trachoma Expert Committee of International Trachoma Initative.

Thulasiraj Ravilla

Thulasiraj Ravilla is the Executive Director of LAICO and Director-Operations at Aravind Eye Care System. He has been with Aravind for forty years and has been the Regional Chair of International Agency for Prevention of Blindness and founder-president of VISION 2020 Right to Sight India. He has an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta and has been a Visiting Scholar at University of Michigan and University of Pennsylvania

Serge Resnikoff

Professor Serge Resnikoff is an international consultant in global ophthalmology and public health. He is a conjoint professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, and he serves as Chair for the International Myopia Institute, the Brien Holden Vision Foundation, and president of OPC and Fondation Théa. His professional experience also includes senior positions at WHO and the industry. Prof Resnikoff received training in Medicine, Ophthalmology, Tropical Medicine, and Epidemiology in France.

Solange Salomão

Professor Solange R Salomão, is currently Coordinator of the Ocular Epidemiology Center and Professor at the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Federal University of São Paulo–UNIFESP, São Paulo, Brazil. She graduated in Orthoptics with PhD in Psychobiology at UNIFESP with post-doctoral fellowship at the Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, Texas. She has extensive experience on population-based ocular epidemiology studies in school children and older adults.

Bernadetha Robert Shilio

Dr Bernadetha Robert Shilio, is the Program Manager, National Eye Care Program at the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Tanzania. She studied Medicine at University of Dar Es Salaam, Completed MSc in Community Eye Health, 2000 at University College London, United Kingdom. In 2002 she achieved her MMED in Ophthalmology at Tumaini University, Kilimanjaro. She is a founding Fellow of the College of Ophthalmology of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa.

Juan Carlos Silva

Dr Juan Carlos Silva is the regional advisor for eye care at the Pan American Health Organization, regional office of the World Health Organization. He studied medicine and ophthalmology at the Rosario University in Bogota, Colombia and completed a fellowship in eye pathology in 1990 and master’s degree of Public Health in 2004 at the Johns Hopkins school of medicine and school of public health, respectively.

Anthony Solomon

Dr Anthony Solomon is Chief Scientist to the Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases and Secretary to the WHO Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma by 2020, at the World Health Organization, Geneva. He graduated in medicine from the University of Queensland, undertook his PhD at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, based in Tanzania, and completed specialist infectious diseases training in the UK.

Bonnielin K. Swenor

Dr Bonnielin Swenor is an epidemiologist and Associate Professor at The Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute and The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and is the Director of the Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center. In 2013, she completed her doctoral training at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health followed by a postdoctoral research fellowship at the National Institute on Aging.

Hugh Taylor

Professor Hugh Taylor is a Melbourne Laureate Professor and chair of Indigenous Eye Health at the University of Melbourne. Previously Director of the Centre for Eye Research Australia and Professor of Ophthalmology, Epidemiology, and International Health at Johns Hopkins. He has had multiple roles with WHO. He has written 36 books and reports, over 700 scientific papers and received multiple international awards. He is the Immediate Past President of the International Council of Ophthalmology, previous Chairman of Vision 2020 Australia and Vice President of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.

Ningli Wang

Professor Ningli Wang is the Director of Beijing Tongren Eye Center, and Director of National Engineering Research Center for Ophthalmic Equipment. He currently serves as the Head of National Committee for the Prevention of Blindness, Chair LXXIV of Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis, President of Chinese Ophthalmologist Association, President of Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology and President of Chinese Society of Public Health Ophthalmology.

Aubrey Webson

H.E. Dr Walton Webson worked for several international NGOs and was Director of Perkins International from 2011. He has been Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations since 2014 and holds DBA, MSc and BSc degrees. He is the founder of UN Friends of Vision Group and is currently the President of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board and was President UNICEF in 2017. He has been appointed as co-facilitators by the President of the General Assembly to lead on Tuberculosis and the Steering Committee on Accessibility.

Sheila West

Professor Sheila West is the Director of the Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology and the El Maghraby Professor at Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine. She received her PhD from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. After 4 years working in the Philippines, she joined the Dana Center to work in Public Health Ophthalmology with a focus on infectious eye diseases, and eye health disparities.

Tien Wong

Tien Wong, completed medical school at the National University of Singapore, and PhD from the Johns Hopkins University. He the Professor and Medical Director of the Singapore National Eye Center. He leads a broad research programme covering epidemiology of eye diseases, ocular imaging, digital innovation and AI, with a focus on diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. He has published >1,000 peer-reviewed papers and received numerous international awards.

Sumrana Yasmin

Sumrana Yasmin is the Senior Global Technical Lead for Refractive Error at Sightsavers, based in Pakistan. She is currently seconded to the World Health Organization to support its work in that field. Her work focuses on developing scalable eye health programmes in low- and middle-income countries to strengthen health and education systems, with a focus on ensuring inclusion, gender equity, and sustainable development.

Mayinuer Yusufu

Mayinuer Yusufu, is a public health eye researcher in the office of National Committee for the Prevention of Blindness, Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, and is the coordinator of a national multi-center training program, China STEER. She is the secretary and associate member of the Blindness Prevention Standing Committee of Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology.