Dr. Sufia Askari is a medical doctor and globally recognized public health leader with nearly two decades of experience advancing maternal, newborn, and child health, nutrition, immunization, and food security across Asia and Africa. Throughout her career, she has combined technical expertise, policy leadership, research, and systems thinking to design and scale solutions that improve health outcomes for women and children. 

Prior to joining Sight and Life, Sufia held leadership and technical roles with UNICEF, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Her work has spanned India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Rwanda, Malawi, Australia, and North Korea, where she has led the design, implementation, and scale-up of sustainable nutrition and health programmes. 

Sufia has played a central role in several high-impact global and national initiatives, including scaling neonatal care in Bihar, India; supporting the development and expansion of Integrated Management of Newborn and Childhood Illness (IMNCI); and designing the Child Nutrition Fund, a global financing mechanism to accelerate the scale-up of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS). Her portfolio ranges from leading evidence-generating randomized controlled trials in Sierra Leone to developing market-based approaches for nutrition and newborn health solutions across Africa and Asia. 

A strong advocate for breaking silos across sectors, Sufia believes in placing mothers and children at the center of health and nutrition solutions. Her experience spans policy development, technical assistance, research, partnership building, and the design of country-led strategies that enable sustainable scale and long-term impact. 

Sufia holds a medical degree and a healthcare management qualification from India, a Master of Public Health degree from Australia, and an executive leadership qualification from the University of Oxford. She has received multiple gold medals for academic excellence during her medical training and has authored numerous scientific publications. She also serves in advisory capacities on maternal, child health, and nutrition issues, supporting efforts to strengthen health systems and improve nutrition outcomes globally.