Merck Foundation and 14 First Ladies Unite to Transform Healthcare in Africa and Asia
Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, has reaffirmed its commitment to transforming patient care across Africa and Asia during the 7th Edition of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI) Summit 2025, held in Libreville.
The summit was inaugurated by Prof. Dr Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of the Merck Foundation Board of Trustees; Senator Dr Rasha Kelej, Chief Executive Officer of Merck Foundation and President of MFFLI; and H.E. Madam Zita Oligui Nguema, First Lady of the Gabonese Republic and Ambassador of Merck Foundation’s More Than a Mother campaign. They were joined by First Ladies from Angola, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Maldives, Mozambique, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, and Zimbabwe.
Senator Dr Rasha Kelej said: “It was a pleasure to meet my dear sister H.E. Madam Zita Oligui Nguema during the MFFLI Summit 2025. Together, we have begun providing scholarships for young doctors in oncology and diabetes care. This is just the beginning of our joint efforts to transform the healthcare landscape in Gabon, and we will continue to scale up the number of scholarships.”
First Lady Zita Oligui Nguema praised the partnership, launched in 2024, noting that it is already yielding results. “Together, we’ve embarked on initiatives aimed at enhancing healthcare capacity and addressing critical social and health challenges. We are enrolling local doctors for scholarships, and we have also launched the Educating Linda programme, which provides scholarships to 20 underprivileged high-performing girls annually, ensuring they complete their education. This initiative is especially close to my heart, as it offers young girls the chance to pursue the careers of their dreams.”
On the second day, the MFFLI committee meeting brought together First Ladies, the Merck Foundation Chairman, and CEO to discuss impact reports of ongoing programmes and outline future strategies.
Since 2012, Merck Foundation has provided more than 2,280 scholarships to doctors from 52 countries in over 44 underserved medical specialties. Further enrolments of Gabonese doctors in oncology, diabetes, and other disciplines are planned in collaboration with the Office of the First Lady and Gabon’s Ministry of Health.
The foundation also rolled out its first Health Media Training programme in Gabon, equipping local journalists to raise awareness on gender-based violence (GBV), female genital mutilation (FGM), girl education, women’s empowerment, and health issues such as diabetes and hypertension.
In addition, Merck Foundation announced the opening of applications for its eight annual awards, recognising excellence in journalism, music, fashion, film, and student innovation, in partnership with the First Lady of Gabon.
The summit also saw the launch of seven children’s storybooks in French – 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 publications tackle issues including infertility stigma, GBV, girl education, diabetes, and hypertension.
Since its inception, Merck Foundation has:
- Trained over 3,700 media professionals from 35+ countries.
- Launched 30 songs addressing social and health issues.
- Produced seven awareness animation films in five languages.
- Provided 950+ scholarships to underprivileged African schoolgirls.
- Built a Pan-African TV programme, Our Africa by Merck Foundation, to promote “Fashion and Art with Purpose”.
- Reached more than 8 million followers across its 15 social media platforms.
“Merck Foundation is not only building healthcare capacity but also creating a culture shift by breaking the silence around critical social and health issues,” added Senator Dr Rasha Kelej.
The summit was streamed live on Merck Foundation’s and Dr Kelej’s social media platforms, ensuring wide engagement across Africa and beyond.
