Mozambique’s First Lady Named Merck Foundation Ambassador at Global Summit
Senator Dr Rasha Kelej, Chief Executive Officer of Merck Foundation, has officially appointed Her Excellency Dr Gueta Selemane Chapo, First Lady of Mozambique, as the new Ambassador of the Foundation’s flagship initiative, More Than a Mother. The announcement was made during the 7th Edition of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI) Summit 2025, held in Maputo.
The summit, inaugurated by Prof Dr Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of the Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, brought together First Ladies from Africa and Asia, including representatives from Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zimbabwe and others, alongside health leaders and international partners.
Dr Kelej praised the appointment as a milestone in strengthening the Foundation’s work in Mozambique. “We are proud to welcome the First Lady of Mozambique to our More Than a Mother movement. Together, we commit to building healthcare capacity through 100 scholarships for local doctors across 42 critical and underserved specialties, while also tackling pressing issues such as infertility stigma and girls’ education,” she said.
Dr Chapo expressed her honour at the appointment, highlighting progress already made: “Eighteen Mozambican doctors have benefitted from our partnership in specialities including diabetes, endocrinology, acute medicine, infectious diseases, and pain management. We are determined to expand this to 100 scholarships, ensuring stronger health systems for our people.”
The summit also featured strategy sessions, an MoU signing between Merck Foundation and the Office of the First Lady of Mozambique, and presentations of impact reports from First Ladies across participating nations. The Foundation further launched calls for applications for its eight annual awards, aimed at empowering journalists, musicians, fashion designers, filmmakers, students, and other talents to address social and health issues through creative industries.
Since its inception in 2012, Merck Foundation has awarded over 2,280 scholarships to young doctors from 52 countries, trained more than 3,700 media professionals across 35 countries, and supported nearly 950 underprivileged schoolgirls in Africa. Its awareness initiatives include children’s storybooks, community songs, animated films, and the Pan-African TV programme Our Africa by Merck Foundation.
Dr Kelej concluded: “Merck Foundation is not only transforming patient care across Africa, Asia and beyond, but also changing mindsets through art, media, fashion, and education.”
