Helen Keller Intl Welcomes Rahul Ali as Vice President of Eye Health

By Helen Keller Intl
| October 28, 2024

Rahul will lead Helen Keller’s global efforts to protect the vision of children and adults.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rahul Ali, Vice President, Eye Health — **Rahul Ali**

New York, NY (October 28, 2024) – Helen Keller Intl, a global health organization that partners with communities to protect vision, improve nutrition, and eliminate disease, helping millions of children and families live healthier lives, has named Rahul Ali as Vice President of Eye Health. Based in the United Arab Emirates, Rahul will leverage his significant clinical and programmatic expertise to lead Helen Keller’s global vision initiatives.

A global leader in ophthalmology, Rahul has dedicated his career to advancing health equity and making vision care accessible to all. With more than two decades of clinical and programmatic experience, he has designed and implemented eye health programs in low-income communities around the world, serving millions of vision-impaired people worldwide.

Most recently, Rahul served as the Head of Global Programs and Grants at the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, where he led teams in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, working with governments and local organizations to implement community vision programs designed to address uncorrected refractive errors and reduce avoidable blindness.

“Today, one in seven people worldwide lives with some form of vision loss because they lack access to proven, cost-effective care. The spillover effects of vision loss can be devastating. Rahul has dedicated his career to combatting this global health crisis, leading efforts that have touched the lives of millions of people,” said Shawn Baker, Chief Program Officer, Helen Keller Intl. “Rahul brings a unique blend of clinical expertise, visionary leadership, and program design. We are thrilled for him to join our team and lead Helen Keller’s efforts to improve communities’ access to high-quality eye care services.”

“Helen Keller’s life-changing vision work has helped millions of people worldwide live healthy lives filled with potential,” said Rahul Ali. “I am honored to build upon this incredible legacy as we work to build equitable access to vision services for the children and adults who need them the most.”

Prior to his tenure at OneSight, Rahul worked for Orbis International, serving first as the Country Director of India, and later as the Vice President of Asia and Africa Programs. At Orbis, he designed and implemented numerous projects aimed at improving children’s eye health and healthcare quality assurance. Additionally, he has served as a faculty member at the International Center for Advancement of Rural Eye Care (ICARE) at L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in Hyderabad, India, and on the Board of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight India.

Rahul holds an MPH and MBA from Johns Hopkins University and a MS in Ophthalmology and MBBS from Christian Medical College, Vellore and Ludhiana respectively.

About Helen Keller Intl

Guided by the remarkable legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller Intl partners with communities that are striving to overcome longstanding cycles of poverty. By delivering the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition, and clear vision, the organization helps millions of people create lasting change in their own lives. Working in 20 countries – across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States – and together with a global community of supporters, Helen Keller Intl helps to ensure every person has the opportunity – as Helen did – to reach their true potential. Helen Keller is a leader in distributing vitamin A – recognized as a top charity by GiveWell – and helped lead the effort to eliminate blinding trachoma as a public health problem in Mali, the very disease that blinded Helen Keller’s teacher Anne Sullivan. Learn more at HelenKellerIntl.org.