Leadership

Zoica Bakirtzief
Chair
Brazil

Jayashree Parasheril Kunju
Vice-Chair
India

Michael Chen
Treasurer
China

Yohanna Abdou
Director
Niger

Mangala Dhondge
Director
India

Narendra Fagami
Director
Nepal/Qatar

Peter Iorkighir
Director
Nigeria

Sang Kwon Jung
Director
Republic of Korea

Maryse Legault
Director
Canada

Jackson Jonathan 'Kofi' Nyarko
Director
Ghana

Faustino Pinto
Director
Brazil

Maya Ranavare
Director
India

Robert Rund
Director
USA
Elmuntasir Mukhier
Executive Director
Elmuntasir joined IDEA as Executive Director in July 2026, bringing over a decade of experience in the leprosy and neglected tropical disease sector. He spent eleven years at ILEP, the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations, where he was responsible for governance, financial management, coordination across fifteen member organisations, and external representation with WHO, UN, and other stakeholders. He has also supported grassroots organisations of persons affected to build their own structures, including AFRA-NTD, which spans thirteen African countries.
Originally from Sudan, Elmuntasir is passionate about empowering marginalised communities and about social justice. He is particularly interested in the intersection between health and human rights systems. He would like to see a world with no stigma, no discrimination, and equality in dignity and rights for all.
Amar Bahadur Timalsina
Global Network Coordinator
Born in rural Nepal and diagnosed at age 10, Amar experienced deep stigma and discrimination, shaping his lifelong commitment to ensure others do not suffer the same. He went on to found a school in Kathmandu serving hundreds of children, and has held leadership roles with IDEA Nepal, the Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy, The Leprosy Mission International, and ILEP.