Merck Foundation and 14 First Ladies Launch 7th MFFLI Summit in Dubai

The Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, successfully hosted the 7th Edition of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI) Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on 19–20 June 2025. The hybrid conference allowed over 6,000 participants from more than 70 countries to engage, exchange knowledge, and discuss strategies to address critical health and social challenges globally.

The summit was inaugurated by Prof. Dr Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of the Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and Senator Dr Rasha Kelej, CEO of the Merck Foundation and President of MFFLI, alongside the First Ladies of 14 African and Asian nations, who joined as Guests of Honour and Keynote Speakers.

Senator Dr Rasha Kelej emphasised the significance of the summit, stating: “It is my great honour to welcome our esteemed Guests of Honour and Keynote Speakers, the First Ladies of Africa and Asia, and Ambassadors of our ‘More Than a Mother’ campaign. Through this platform, we have shared valuable experiences and engaged in meaningful discussions on our programmes that transform patient care and address critical social and health issues.”

Prof. Dr Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp added: “At Merck Foundation, our mission is to improve health and well-being by building healthcare capacity and providing equitable access to quality healthcare solutions across Africa, Asia and beyond. Together with our Ambassadors and partners, we continue to work towards a world where everyone can live a healthy and fulfilling life.”

The participating First Ladies, who serve as Ambassadors of the “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” campaign, included:

• H.E. Dr Ana Dias Lourenço, Angola
• H.E. Dr Débora Katisa Carvalho, Cabo Verde
• H.E. Madam Brigitte Touadera, Central African Republic
• H.E. Madam Zita Oligui Nguema, Gabon
• H.E. Mrs Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow, Gambia
• H.E. Mrs Lordina Dramani Mahama, Ghana
• H.E. Mrs Rachel Ruto E.G.H., Kenya
• H.E. Mrs Kartumu Yarta Boakai, Liberia
• H.E. Mrs Sajidha Mohamed, Maldives
• H.E. Dr Gueta Seleman Chapo, Mozambique
• H.E. Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Nigeria
• H.E. Mrs Maria de Fatima Vila Nova, São Tomé and Príncipe
• H.E. Madam Marie Khone Faye, Senegal
• H.E. Amai Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe

Dr Kelej highlighted Merck Foundation’s achievements, noting that over 2,500 scholarships have been awarded to young doctors from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved medical specialties. “Many of our alumni have become the first specialists in their countries. More than 700 scholarships have been awarded in fields such as Fertility, Embryology, Sexual and Reproductive Medicine, Women’s Health, Urology, Clinical Psychiatry, Laparoscopic Surgery, and Family Medicine, improving access to healthcare and fertility care,” she said.

The summit also marked the 8th anniversary of the Merck Foundation and 13 years of its development programmes, launched in 2012.

The first day featured plenary sessions with a high-level panel discussion involving the First Ladies, followed by a ministerial panel with African Ministers and top global healthcare experts. The second day hosted three parallel sessions covering Oncology, Fertility, and Merck Foundation Health Media Training, emphasising the role of media in influencing communities and driving social change, including breaking infertility stigma, promoting girls’ education, preventing gender-based violence, ending child marriage and FGM, and raising awareness on diabetes and hypertension.

The hybrid format enabled global participation, allowing over 6,000 delegates from countries including Angola, Bangladesh, Botswana, Canada, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe and more to benefit from the summit’s discussions and initiatives.

Merck Foundation continues to transform patient care and create lasting social impact through:

• 2,500+ scholarships for doctors across 52 countries
• Training over 3,700 media professionals to raise awareness on social and health issues
• Annual awards recognising excellence in media, fashion, films, and music addressing health and social topics
• Publication of children’s storybooks and awareness animation films in multiple languages
• Pan-African TV programme “Our Africa by Merck Foundation” addressing social and health issues
• Scholarships for over 1,040 underprivileged African schoolgirls
• 15 social media channels reaching over 8 million followers

The summit was streamed live across Merck Foundation’s social media platforms, making its programmes and discussions accessible globally.

For more information, visit: www.Merck-Foundation.com