Merck Foundation and São Tomé First Lady Drive Major Push for Healthcare and Social Change
Merck Foundation Chief Executive Officer Dr Rasha Kelej and the First Lady of São Tomé and Príncipe, H.E. Mrs Maria de Fátima Vila Nova, have reaffirmed their joint commitment to strengthening healthcare capacity and breaking infertility stigma during the 12th Edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary Conference 2025.
The high-level conference, organised by Merck Foundation in partnership with the Government of The Gambia, was co-chaired by H.E. Mrs Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow, First Lady of The Gambia and Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother”, alongside Dr Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of the “More Than a Mother” initiative.
The First Lady of São Tomé and Príncipe joined fellow African First Ladies from Burundi, the Central African Republic, Liberia, Nigeria and Senegal as Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker, underscoring the growing role of First Ladies in advancing health, education and social development across the continent.
Speaking after meeting H.E. Mrs Vila Nova, Dr Kelej said discussions focused on expanding joint programmes aimed at building local healthcare capacity and improving patient care through specialised medical training.
“It was a pleasure meeting my dear sister, H.E. Mrs Maria de Fátima Vila Nova. We discussed our joint programmes and reaffirmed our commitment to transforming healthcare by providing scholarships for local doctors. We have already started enrolling doctors for training in Oncology and Diabetes Care,” Dr Kelej said.
She also welcomed the First Lady’s decision to broadcast Merck Foundation’s awareness animation films in Portuguese on national television, noting that this would significantly enhance public awareness of critical social and health issues in an engaging manner.
In her remarks, H.E. Mrs Vila Nova expressed appreciation for the partnership with Merck Foundation and highlighted the impact of programmes already introduced in São Tomé and Príncipe.
“It is a great honour to be part of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary and to engage with my fellow First Ladies and Dr Rasha Kelej,” she said. “We have introduced the ‘Educating Linda and Lindo’ programme, which is very close to my heart, as it supports deserving but underprivileged children to reach their full potential.”
Under this initiative, annual scholarships are being provided to 40 high-performing but underprivileged girls and boys until they complete their education.
The First Lady also announced plans to air Merck Foundation’s animation films on national television, saying the content would help communities better understand and address sensitive health and social issues, including infertility stigma.
Merck Foundation has also partnered with the Office of the First Lady of São Tomé and Príncipe to conduct two editions of Online Health Media Training, reinforcing the vital role of journalists and media practitioners in shaping public understanding of health and social challenges.
During the conference, Merck Foundation further announced a call for applications for eight annual awards, launched in partnership with the First Lady of São Tomé and Príncipe, targeting media professionals, musicians, filmmakers, fashion designers, students and emerging talents.
In addition, several children’s storybooks were launched in Portuguese, 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. The books address issues such as infertility stigma, girls’ education, gender-based violence, diabetes and hypertension awareness.
The two-day conference featured plenary sessions with keynote speeches by African First Ladies, a high-level ministerial panel on building scientific research capacity through the Merck Africa Research Summit (MARS), and a Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI) committee meeting to review country-level impact and future strategies.
Dr Kelej noted that since 2012, Merck Foundation has provided more than 2,500 scholarships to healthcare professionals from 52 countries across 44 critical and underserved medical specialties. She reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to continuing support for São Tomé and Príncipe and other underserved nations.
Through scholarships, media training, awareness campaigns, creative arts and education support, Merck Foundation continues to drive a continent-wide movement to strengthen healthcare systems, empower women and girls, and address deeply rooted social and health challenges across Africa and beyond.
