Michaela Kelly

Michaela Kelly is the trachoma programme director at Sightsavers. With almost 30 years’ experience in development across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, and the last ten years dedicated to trachoma elimination, Michaela brings the unique ability to link practical field work to a strategic agenda and match global solutions to local challenges. As Programme Director for the Sightsavers’ flagship Accelerate programme and earlier as Director for The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust funded Trachoma Initiative, Michaela has been instrumental in bringing together the current thinking, and the wealth of experience from partners across countries, which led to collaborative efforts to develop ICTC preferred practices on transitioning trachoma elimination to routine public services. Michaela is currently the ICTC Vice Chair (2023 – 2025). Michaela is trained in human rights-based approach to development and has worked in conflict and emergency settings, gaining direct experience on the inclusion of the most vulnerable – a key challenge for the global elimination goal.