[Via TED.com] Mechai Viravaidya is the founder and chair of the Population and Community Development Association (PDA). He’s a widely acclaimed leader in the fields of public health, education and community development. He has also been featured by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and TIME magazine.

From Mechai’s own website,

The NGO I founded, Population & Community Development Association (PDA), was established in 1974 to address health and long-term sustainability issues in Thailand. We promoted family planning through innovative programs and approaches to desensitize contraceptive use and make them available throughout Thailand. When HIV/AIDS reared its head, similar principles were applied to ensure that everyone was aware of the dangers of this disease and knew about its prevention.

Following these programs, we focused on rural development initiatives to empower the poor to eradicate poverty, which we utilized in the wake of the Tsunami in 2004. This program eventually evolved into what is known today as the Village Development Partnership, which addresses the five vital components of development: community empowerment, income generation, health, education, and environmental promotion.

View his profile on Wikipedia.