First Ladies Join Forces at Merck Foundation Summit in Dubai
The Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, convened its 7th Edition of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI) Summit on 19–20 June 2025. The high-level gathering brought together 14 First Ladies from Africa and Asia to discuss the impact of health and social programmes being championed in their respective countries.
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 Merck Foundation and President of the MFFLI. Both leaders emphasised the Foundation’s continued commitment to expanding healthcare capacity and addressing social issues through partnerships with First Ladies, Ministers, and healthcare experts.
“It is my great honour to welcome our esteemed Guests of Honour and Ambassadors of our ‘More Than a Mother’ campaign to this 7th Edition of the MFFLI Summit,” said Senator Dr Kelej. “Together, we are transforming patient care and raising awareness of critical health and social challenges.”
The participating First Ladies, serving as Ambassadors of the “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” campaign, hailed from Angola, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Maldives, Mozambique, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, and Zimbabwe.
During the summit, Merck Foundation announced that it has provided over 2,280 scholarships for young doctors from 52 countries in more than 44 underserved medical specialties, including oncology, fertility, psychiatry, and women’s health. Out of these, more than 700 scholarships focus specifically on fertility and reproductive health, reinforcing the campaign’s objective to break infertility stigma and improve women’s health outcomes.
The gathering also marked the 8th Anniversary of Merck Foundation and celebrated 13 years of its development programmes. High-level ministerial panels and scientific sessions were held alongside community awareness initiatives, including Merck Foundation Health Media Training, which spotlighted the role of journalists in shaping cultural attitudes on issues such as gender-based violence, child marriage, and girls’ education.
Prof Dr Stangenberg-Haverkamp reaffirmed the Foundation’s vision: “Together with our Ambassadors and partners, we will continue to work towards a world where everyone can access equitable healthcare and lead a healthy life.”
The hybrid summit attracted more than 6,000 participants from over 70 countries, highlighting its role as a global platform for dialogue on health and social development.
Merck Foundation also continues to expand its community impact through creative initiatives, including the production of children’s storybooks, songs, films, awareness campaigns, and the Pan-African TV programme “Our Africa”. In addition, over 3,700 media professionals have been trained across 35 countries to better report on health and social issues.
