Merck Foundation Expands Cancer Care Across 34 Countries in Africa and Beyond
The Merck Foundation, in collaboration with African First Ladies and Ministries of Health, is transforming cancer care across Africa by providing 269 oncology scholarships to healthcare providers from 34 African and Asian countries.
The initiative aims to strengthen cancer care capacity by training the continent’s first oncologists and multidisciplinary cancer care teams in several countries.
The scholarships cover one-year clinical training across a wide range of oncology sub-specialties, including Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Paediatric Oncology, Gynaecology Oncology, Haemato-Oncology, Orthopaedic Oncology, Breast Oncology, Palliative Care, Pathology, Radiation Oncology, and Oncology Nursing.
In addition, one-year and two-year postgraduate diplomas and master’s degrees are offered in partnership with renowned UK universities such as the University of South Wales, University of Buckingham, Queen Mary University of London, and Cardiff University.
Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO, said, “At Merck Foundation, we are addressing one of Africa’s most critical gaps in cancer care: late diagnosis and the shortage of trained specialists.
Together with African First Ladies, we have strengthened cancer care capacity by providing 269 scholarships, significantly increasing the number of trained oncologists and building multidisciplinary care teams in countries that previously had none.”
Countries benefiting from the programme include Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
According to WHO data from 2022, Africa sees approximately 1.1 million new cancer cases and up to 700,000 cancer deaths annually, with mortality rates much higher than in other regions due to late diagnosis and limited access to care. The scholarships are therefore critical to developing the next generation of skilled oncologists and multidisciplinary cancer care teams.
In addition to training initiatives, the Merck Foundation has launched the children’s storybook and animation film Ray of Hope, in partnership with African First Ladies, to raise awareness about childhood cancer and the importance of early detection.
Dr Judith Mkwaila, a Merck Foundation scholarship alumna from Malawi, highlighted the impact of the programme: “The fellowship allowed me to gain theoretical and hands-on training in complex oncological procedures and a multidisciplinary approach to cancer care. Today, I run a General Surgical Clinic and am the first female Chief Surgeon at Mzuzu Central Hospital. I am very grateful to the Merck Foundation for this opportunity.”
To date, the Merck Foundation has provided more than 2,500 scholarships across 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved healthcare specialities, reinforcing its commitment to improving patient care and access to high-quality oncology services across Africa.
