Our Team

Executive Director

Saw David Htoo, MPH, BSN

Saw David Htoo serves as the Executive Director of the Dr. Nay Hser Foundation, where he provides strategic leadership in advancing the Foundation's mission to improve access to quality eye care for Karen communities in Karen State, Myanmar.

Inspired by his father, Dr. Nay Hser, David developed a passion for humanitarian service from an early age. During school holidays, he accompanied his father on Mobile Eye Missions throughout rural Karen State, witnessing firsthand the challenges faced by underserved communities and the life-changing impact of restoring sight. These experiences shaped his lifelong commitment to serving vulnerable populations through both healthcare and public health.

David earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), providing him with a strong clinical foundation, and later completed a Master of Public Health (MPH) with a specialization in Border Health Management and Epidemiology. His combined expertise in nursing and public health enables him to integrate clinical care with community health strategies, program development, and sustainable health system strengthening.

As Executive Director, David works closely with Dr. Nay Hser, healthcare professionals, community leaders, and international partners to expand humanitarian eye care services through the Foundation's flagship programs—the Mobile Eye Mission and the Ker Paw Taw Lu Eye Clinic. He is committed to strengthening partnerships, promoting sustainable healthcare initiatives, and ensuring that vulnerable Karen communities have access to quality, compassionate eye care.

David considers it a privilege to continue his family's legacy of service, working alongside dedicated colleagues and supporters to restore sight, strengthen communities, and create lasting hope for future generations.

Senior Program Director

Dr. Nay Hser

Founder of Burma Vision | Founder & President, Dr. Nay Hser Foundation

Dr. Nay Hser is a Karen humanitarian eye surgeon whose life's work has been dedicated to restoring sight and improving access to quality eye care for underserved communities in Karen State and across Myanmar. For more than two decades, he has provided compassionate eye care to people living in rural, remote, and conflict-affected areas where healthcare services are often unavailable.

In 2011, together with his close friend and colleague, Dr. Robert Arnold, Dr. Nay Hser co-founded Burma Vision, a humanitarian initiative established to plan, procure, transport, and deliver essential eye care services to vulnerable communities. Through Mobile Eye Missions, Burma Vision provides vision screening, spectacles, eye medications, cataract surgery, and other sight-restoring procedures to people who would otherwise have little or no access to treatment.

Under Dr. Nay Hser's leadership, Burma Vision has performed more than 15,000 cataract surgeries and screened over 100,000 patients, transforming the lives of thousands of individuals and families. In 2025, he established the Ker Paw Taw Lu Eye Clinic to provide year-round, sustainable eye care services in Karen State.

As Founder and President of the Dr. Nay Hser Foundation, he continues to lead the Foundation's medical vision and humanitarian mission, working alongside healthcare professionals, community leaders, and international partners to ensure that every Karen person has the opportunity to receive quality eye care.

Senior Program Director

Dr. Robert Arnold

Co-Founder of Burma Vision | Pediatric Ophthalmologist

Dr. Robert Arnold is an American pediatric ophthalmologist, humanitarian, and long-standing partner in advancing eye care for underserved communities in Myanmar. Board-certified in ophthalmology since 1990, he practiced for more than two decades in Anchorage, Alaska, while also serving in leadership roles in pediatric vision screening, clinical research, and global eye health.

Since first visiting the Thai–Myanmar border in 2007, Dr. Arnold has worked closely with Karen healthcare providers to improve access to quality eye care in remote and conflict-affected communities. Recognizing the urgent need for sustainable eye services, he partnered with Dr. Nay Hser in 2011 to establish Burma Vision, a humanitarian initiative dedicated to delivering comprehensive eye care through Mobile Eye Missions.

Together, Dr. Arnold and Dr. Nay Hser have developed a collaborative program that provides vision screening, spectacles, eye medications, cataract surgery, and other essential eye care services to thousands of patients throughout Karen State. Beyond providing clinical expertise, Dr. Arnold has played a vital role in mentoring healthcare workers, strengthening surgical capacity, mobilizing medical resources, and fostering international partnerships that support sustainable eye care.

As Senior Program Director of the Dr. Nay Hser Foundation, Dr. Arnold continues to provide strategic guidance, medical expertise, and international collaboration, helping expand access to quality eye care and restore sight for vulnerable Karen communities.

United by a shared commitment to compassionate service, Dr. Arnold and Dr. Nay Hser have worked side by side for more than a decade, building a lasting partnership that continues to transform lives through the gift of sight.