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OneSight, has announced that Dr. Rahul Ali will be joining the organization on August 16 as Senior Director, Global Programming. In this role, Rahul will be responsible for leading the strategic planning and execution for all of OneSight’s global programming, supporting OneSight’s programming staff around the world, and collaborating with OneSight’s senior leadership team to implement the organization’s strategic vision.
Rahul brings 20 years of extensive clinical and international experience to OneSight. As an ophthalmologist with a strong passion for public health ophthalmology, he is driven by a deep desire to help people achieve their full potential by ending avoidable blindness.
“We feel extremely fortunate to welcome Rahul as the newest member of OneSight’s senior leadership team,” said K-T Overbey, President & Executive Director, OneSight. “Rahul’s vast experience in eye health, coupled with his extensive global knowledge, will elevate our programming as we continue our mission of bringing vision care to the 1.1 billion people who need it globally.”
Prior to joining OneSight, Rahul was the Vice President of Africa and Asia Programs at Orbis International. In that role he conceived and implemented numerous projects focusing on the eye health of children, especially school eye health initiatives and healthcare quality assurance.
Other roles Rahul has held include Country Director of India at Orbis International, where he was responsible for India, Nepal, and Indonesia; and a faculty member at the International Center for Advancement of Rural Eye Care (ICARE) at L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in Hyderabad, India.
Rahul completed his MBBS and MS Ophthalmology from Christian Medical College in India and then went on to obtain his MPH and MBA from Johns Hopkins University. Rahul was also a Board Member of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight India. Rahul currently lives in the UAE with his wife and two daughters and has plans to relocate to the U.S.
Prevent Blindness is declaring February as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Low Vision Month in an effort to provide education and various expert-approved resources to the public and professionals. This year’s AMD and Low Vision Month is generously supported by Gold Sponsor EyePoint, Inc.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, AMD is the most common cause of severe loss of eyesight among people 50 and older. And, about 4 million Americans live with low vision, which is defined as chronic visual impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or medical treatments.
AMD affects the central part of the retina called the “macula.” When AMD damages the macula, the center part of a person’s vision may become blurred or wavy, and a blind spot may develop. Early detection and treatment of AMD is key to helping to prevent significant vision loss.
Two types of AMD include:
“As our population ages, the number of individuals impacted by AMD continues to grow. Many will face difficulties doing the things we sometimes take for granted, such as reading, seeing faces, and driving,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “Our robust collection of resources on AMD and low vision are intentionally created to help minimize vision loss and maintain independence for those impacted by AMD while providing effective tools to the public and providers on ways to save sight.”
As part of AMD and Low Vision Month, Prevent Blindness offers the free AMD GuideMe app. This resource provides a customized overview of AMD along with a tailored resource list and suggested steps to help save sight from the eye disease specific to the individual using the GuideMe app. Prevent Blindness offers additional educational resources including fact sheets and shareable social media graphics in English and Spanish, and dedicated webpages.
New this year, as part of the Prevent Blindness ASPECT Patient Engagement Program Member Spotlight Series, graduate Laurie S., shares her experience with AMD, including her family history with the eye disease, how it impacts her daily activities including the ability to read music, and the importance of support groups “Age-related Macular Degeneration: Laurie’s Story.”
Videos in the Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health Series include:
The Prevent Blindness “Living Well With Low Vision” program provides useful information to those with low vision, their care partners and healthcare professionals. Content includes self-help guides, resources for vision loss and mental wellness, information on clinical trials, and much more. Living Well With Low Vision is supported by grants from Amgen and Genentech.
For more information on AMD, please visit PreventBlindness.org/amd. For information on geographic atrophy, please visit PreventBlindness.org/geographic-atrophy.
And, for more information on Living Well With Low Vision, or other general eye health information, please visit lowvision.PreventBlindness.org.
For a listing of organizations and services that provide financial assistance for vision care in English or Spanish, please visit https://preventblindness.org/vision-care-financial-assistance-information.
