Dr. Fatima Kyari is a distinguished ophthalmologist with over three decades of experience in clinical ophthalmology, eye and vision research, public health, medical education, and health professions regulation. Currently, she serves as the Registrar/CEO of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), where she plays a pivotal role in regulating medical and dental practice in Nigeria, overseeing medical education standards, professional ethics, and health workforce development.
Dr. Kyari has subspecialty expertise in glaucoma and has made significant contributions to glaucoma care in Africa. Her pioneering work has influenced national policies and service delivery models across the continent. Between 2018 and 2021, she led glaucoma program development in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Uganda. She was also instrumental in developing a comprehensive toolkit for glaucoma management in Sub-Saharan Africa (2020), which was translated into French and Portuguese, and adapting it as The Nigeria Glaucoma Guidelines and Toolkit (2023). Additionally, she spearheaded the creation of the Glaucoma-NET, a clinical and research network aimed at improving glaucoma management in low-resource settings.
Dr. Kyari is also the Clinical Glaucoma Lead at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital and recently secured a Global Health Partners (THET) grant in 2024, which focuses on capacity building through upskilling healthcare professionals in glaucoma management. In her voluntary role, she is the new Africa Region Chair for the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), where she continues to advocate for improved eye health across Africa.
Her career has been marked by a deep commitment to eye health advocacy, policy development, and capacity building, making her a recognized leader in the field of ophthalmology in Nigeria and beyond.