Merck Foundation Appoints Gabon First Lady as “More Than a Mother” Ambassador
The Merck Foundation has appointed Gabon’s First Lady, Zita Oligui Nguema, as Ambassador of its “More Than a Mother” campaign, as part of efforts to strengthen healthcare systems, tackle infertility stigma and support girl education.
The announcement was made during the official launch of the Foundation’s programmes in Libreville on 13 April 2026, held in partnership with the Government of Gabon.
The initiative, which began in 2024, aims to transform patient care, build healthcare capacity and empower women and girls across the country.
Speaking during the event, Merck Foundation Chief Executive Officer Rasha Kelej described the appointment as a significant milestone in advancing the Foundation’s agenda.
“It is a great honour to declare Her Excellency as Ambassador of the ‘More Than a Mother’ campaign and to formally launch our programmes in the country,” she said, adding that the partnership would focus on improving healthcare capacity, breaking infertility stigma and supporting girl education.
Chairman of the Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, said the organisation remains committed to strengthening healthcare systems across Africa and other developing regions through its scholarship programmes.
In her remarks, Mrs Oligui Nguema welcomed the collaboration, describing it as “history in the making” and highlighting the progress already achieved since the partnership began.
She revealed that 16 scholarships have been awarded to Gabonese healthcare professionals in specialised fields such as fertility, embryology, oncology, diabetes and hypertension, with some beneficiaries already completing their training.
Among these, four scholarships were allocated to fertility and embryology training in India, leading to the training of the country’s first embryologist. Additional scholarships have been provided in diabetes and hypertension, as well as oncology nursing, to strengthen specialised healthcare services.
The Foundation is also supporting girl education by providing annual scholarships to 40 high-performing but underprivileged schoolgirls until completion of their studies.
As part of the initiative, the Merck Foundation and the First Lady also launched seven children’s storybooks, including “More Than a Mother”, “Educating Linda” and “Jackline’s Rescue”, aimed at addressing social and health issues among young audiences. Thousands of copies are expected to be distributed in schools across the country.
In addition, the Foundation has conducted media training programmes for journalists in Gabon to enhance awareness on issues such as infertility stigma, gender-based violence, child marriage, female genital mutilation, and the prevention of diabetes and hypertension.
The organisation also announced the call for applications for its 2026 awards targeting media professionals, filmmakers, musicians, fashion designers and students across Africa. The awards seek to promote creative storytelling and advocacy on key social and health challenges, with submission deadlines set for September and October 2026.
The Merck Foundation noted that it has so far provided more than 2,600 scholarships to healthcare professionals from 52 countries, reinforcing its commitment to improving access to quality healthcare and advancing social development across the continent.
