New African Magazine Names Merck Foundation CEO Among 100 Most Influential Africans of 2025
The New African Magazine of the United Kingdom has recognised Dr Rasha Kelej, Chief Executive Officer of Merck Foundation, as one of the 100 Most Influential Africans of 2025, citing her transformative leadership in healthcare, women’s empowerment and girl education across Africa and beyond.
Dr Kelej shares the prestigious recognition with several African heads of state, including President João Lourenço of Angola, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, and President John Mahama of Ghana. The annual list celebrates African leaders, innovators and change-makers whose work continues to shape the continent’s present and future.
This marks the seventh consecutive year that Dr Kelej has been named among the 100 Most Influential Africans, underlining the sustained impact of her work through Merck Foundation and its flagship social development programmes.
According to New African Magazine, the 2025 special edition highlights individuals drawn from public office, business, technology, healthcare, civil society, arts and sports, selected by correspondents and collaborators across the continent for their inspirational influence and measurable impact.
Speaking on the recognition, Senator Dr Rasha Kelej said she was deeply honoured to be listed alongside Africa’s leaders and change-makers. “I am deeply honoured to be recognised as one of the 100 Most Influential Africans by New African (UK), and to be named alongside the esteemed leaders of our continent, including the Presidents of Angola, Ghana and South Africa,” she said. “This recognition motivates me and my team to strengthen our commitment to creating lasting and equitable impact across Africa for generations to come.”
Under Dr Kelej’s leadership, Merck Foundation has implemented wide-ranging initiatives aimed at strengthening healthcare systems, expanding access to specialised medical care, empowering women and supporting girl education. Among its flagship programmes is the Scholarship Programme for Healthcare Providers, which has provided 2,500 scholarships to doctors from 52 countries across 44 critical and underserved medical specialties.
Dr Kelej noted that many of the scholarship beneficiaries have become, or are on track to become, the first specialists in their respective countries, helping to transform patient care and improve access to quality and equitable healthcare services.
Merck Foundation’s signature initiative, “More Than a Mother”, founded by Dr Kelej in 2015, focuses on building reproductive and fertility care capacity, breaking infertility stigma, raising awareness on infertility prevention and male infertility, and supporting girl education. Through the programme, the Foundation has worked closely with more than 33 African and Asian First Ladies as ambassadors, alongside governments, ministries, academic institutions, international medical societies, media and creative industries in over 52 countries.
As part of its reproductive health efforts, the Foundation has provided 770 specialised scholarships in fertility care, embryology, sexual and reproductive medicine, women’s health, clinical psychiatry, urology, laparoscopic surgery and family medicine, strengthening women’s health services in 42 countries across Africa and Asia.
In addition, Merck Foundation runs the “Educating Linda” initiative, which has to date provided over 1,200 annual scholarships to high-performing but underprivileged African schoolgirls from 19 countries, including Zambia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Malawi, among others.
The Foundation also supports women’s economic empowerment through the “Empowering Berna” programme, which assists childless and infertile women to start small businesses and achieve financial independence.
Dr Kelej is widely recognised as a leading advocate for women’s rights and social justice, championing efforts to end infertility stigma, child marriage, gender-based violence and female genital mutilation. Through innovative media, arts and community-based initiatives, she has helped drive cultural change and amplify the voices of marginalised women.
With a social media following of over 8.5 million, Dr Kelej continues to educate and inspire audiences across Africa and globally, reinforcing her reputation as a visionary leader whose work is reshaping healthcare, gender equity and social development across the continent.
