Dr Sarity Dodson elected to ICTC Executive Group
Dr Sarity Dodson, Director of Research and Evidence at The Fred Hollows Foundation, has been elected to the Executive Group of the International Coalition for Trachoma Control (ICTC). She will serve as Vice Chair from 2025 to 2027, followed by terms as Chair (2027–2029) and Immediate Past Chair (2029–2031).
Sarity Dodson brings extensive leadership experience to the ICTC Executive Group, particularly in cross-cutting and health systems research. In her role at The Fred Hollows Foundation, she has led several research projects aimed at strengthening health systems, integrating trachoma interventions into routine eye health services, and advancing strategies for facial cleanliness and environmental improvement (F&E).
Sarity has actively contributed to several ICTC initiatives, including the F&E sub-group of the ICTC Gap Analysis task team. In th\is position, she collaborates with ICTC members to estimate the F&E costing gap in the global trachoma program, aiming to strengthen advocacy efforts and mobilize resources, particularly for cross-sectoral action to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) collaboration in trachoma-endemic settings. Sarity has also supported several ICTC initiatives aimed at documentings lessons from the global trachoma program, including submissions to the ICTC-sponsored Trachoma Matters series in the Community Eye Health Journal.
Sarity has actively led several ICTC and NNN initiatives, strengthening programs through the development of technical resources and enhancing advocacy through the dissemination of evidence-based research. We are delighted to welcome Sarity to the ICTC Executive Group— PJ Hooper, ICTC Chair
“The experience Sarity Dodson brings to the ICTC Executive Group will be extremely valuable in advancing the four strategic pillars underpinning the ICTC Strategic Plan 2022–2030,” said PJ Hooper, Chair (2023–2025) of the International Coalition for Trachoma Control. “Sarity has actively led several ICTC and NNN initiatives, strengthening programs through the development of technical resources and enhancing advocacy through the dissemination of evidence-based research. We are delighted to welcome Sarity to the ICTC Executive Group.”
In addition to serving as ICTC Vice Chair, Sarity will continue as Co-Chair of the Neglected Tropical Disease NGO Network (NNN) WASH Working Group, which advocates for cross-sectoral approaches for NTDs and develops resources to improve cross-sectoral programming. In this role, she has supported the development of several key resources, including the second edition of WASH and Health Working Together: A ‘How-To’ Guide for Neglected Tropical Disease Programs and the NNN Social and Behavior Change in NTD Programs Quick Guide.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the ICTC Executive Group and look forward to working closely alongside those within and beyond the coalition to achieve our 2030 global trachoma elimination target. In particular I’m looking forward to contributing to enhancing F&E collaborations across the coalition, and to realizing the ambitions relating to integration of ongoing trachoma management and surveillance within health systems.”
The ICTC Executive Group will officially rotate in April 2025, at which time Dr Angelia Sanders, Senior Associate Director of the Trachoma Control Program at The Carter Center, will leave the Executive Group, having served as Immediate Past Chair (2023–2025), Chair (2021–2023), and Vice Chair (2019–2021).
About the ICTC Executive GroupThe Executive Group serves as the executive function of the International Coalition for Trachoma Control, providing overall leadership and ensuring accountability to its members. Its scope is guided by the ICTC Strategic Plan 2022–2030 and aligns with priorities raised by countries through the WHO Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma (GET2020 Alliance). The ICTC Executive Group comprises three voluntary, non-remunerated positions—Chair, Immediate Past Chair, and Vice Chair—with each member serving a two-year term. Every two years, a Vice Chair is elected, progressing to Chair and then to Immediate Past Chair. Ideal candidates possess complementary skills, programmatic expertise, and the capacity to meet the Coalition's dynamic needs.