Merck Foundation Unites 14 First Ladies at 2025 Summit in São Tomé

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, has successfully concluded the 7th Edition of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI) Summit 2025 in São Tomé. The high-level gathering brought together H.E. Mrs. Maria de Fátima Vila Nova, First Lady of São Tomé and Príncipe, along with 13 First Ladies from Africa and Asia.

The summit was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of the Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, Chief Executive Officer of Merck Foundation and President of MFFLI. The participating First Ladies represented Angola, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Maldives, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal and Zimbabwe.

Senator, Dr. Kelej expressed delight at the meeting, stating: “I was pleased to meet my dear sister H.E. Mrs. Maria de Fátima Vila Nova, First Lady of São Tomé and Príncipe & Ambassador of Merck Foundation ‘More Than a Mother’. We discussed joint programmes to build healthcare capacity, support girl education and address a wide range of health and social issues. We are proud to have sponsored the education of 40 underprivileged but high-performing schoolgirls through the Educating Linda programme and to have provided scholarships for local doctors in Oncology and Diabetes Care.”

H.E. Mrs. Vila Nova praised the partnership as “a transformative chapter” for her country. “I am especially proud to have launched the Educating Linda programme in São Tomé and Príncipe, supporting 40 bright but underprivileged girls to pursue their education. This is not just about education; it is about transforming the future of an entire generation. Equally significant are our efforts to strengthen healthcare capacity with specialised scholarships in critical fields such as Oncology and Diabetes Care,” she said.

On the second day of the summit, the MFFLI committee meeting brought together the First Ladies of Africa, Merck Foundation Chairman, and CEO to discuss programme impact reports and future strategies.

So far, Merck Foundation has provided more than 2,280 scholarships for doctors from 52 countries in 44 underserved medical specialities. In São Tomé and Príncipe, two editions of Online Health Media Training have also been conducted to highlight the role of the media in addressing health and social challenges.

Merck Foundation further announced a call for applications for eight awards targeting journalists, musicians, fashion designers, filmmakers, students, and emerging talents in partnership with the First Lady of São Tomé and Príncipe.

Additionally, seven Portuguese-language children’s storybooks were launched, including “More Than a Mother”, “Educating Linda”, “Jackline’s Rescue”, “Not Who You Are”, “Ride into the Future”, “Sugar Free Jude” and “Mark’s Pressure”. These stories aim to address infertility stigma, promote girl education, stop gender-based violence, and raise awareness on diabetes and hypertension.

Since inception, Merck Foundation has:

• Provided over 2,280 scholarships in 44 critical specialities.
• Trained more than 3,700 media professionals from 35 countries.
• Launched 8 annual awards for media, fashion, film, and music.
• Produced around 30 songs on health and social issues.
• Published 8 children’s storybooks in English, French, and Portuguese.
• Released 7 animated films in five languages.
• Awarded over 950 scholarships to underprivileged African schoolgirls.

With 15 active social media channels and more than 8 million followers, Merck Foundation continues to transform healthcare and create a cultural shift in Africa, Asia, and beyond.

Multimedia

• Speech of the First Lady of São Tomé and Príncipe
• Merck Foundation CEO receiving H.E. Mrs. Maria de Fátima Vila Nova
• MFFLI Committee Meeting Highlights
• Inaugural Session of MFFLI Panel – YouTube

For more updates, follow Merck Foundation and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.