For the 7th Time, Dr Rasha Kelej Named Among Africa’s Most Influential Women
Dr Rasha Kelej, Chief Executive Officer of the Merck Foundation and President of the “More Than a Mother” campaign, has been named among the 100 Most Influential African Women of 2025 by Avance Media, marking her seventh consecutive appearance on the prestigious list.
The annual ranking recognises African women whose leadership and achievements continue to shape policy, influence decision-making, and drive development across the continent and beyond. Dr Kelej was listed alongside some of Africa’s most prominent leaders, including Samia Suluhu Hassan and Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
Reacting to the recognition, Dr Kelej expressed gratitude, describing the honour as a reflection of Merck Foundation’s long-standing commitment to strengthening healthcare systems, empowering women, and promoting girls’ education across Africa.
She said the recognition reinforces the organisation’s mission to improve patient care, expand access to equitable healthcare, and support women particularly those affected by infertility stigma while also investing in education for underprivileged girls.
Under her leadership, Merck Foundation has implemented wide-ranging programmes, including its Scholarship Programme for healthcare providers, which has awarded more than 2,500 scholarships to young professionals from 52 countries in over 44 medical specialties. The initiative has helped address critical shortages of specialists in several African nations.
The Foundation has also trained nearly 1,200 female healthcare professionals, reflecting its focus on increasing women’s participation in medicine and science. In addition, it runs the “Educating Linda” programme, which supports the education of more than 1,200 underprivileged girls across 19 African countries, including Zambia, by providing scholarships and school supplies.
Dr Kelej is also credited with launching the “More Than a Mother” campaign, which seeks to break infertility stigma, promote reproductive health awareness, and improve access to fertility care. She has worked closely with more than 33 First Ladies across Africa and Asia in advancing these initiatives.
Beyond healthcare and education, she has championed creative advocacy through media, fashion, and the arts. This includes producing awareness songs in multiple languages, developing children’s books and animated films, and hosting the pan-African television programme “Our Africa by Merck Foundation”, which addresses key social and health issues.
The Merck Foundation has also trained more than 4,000 journalists across 45 countries and established several awards recognising excellence in media, music, fashion, and film for social impact.
Dr Kelej said the recognition strengthens her commitment to building a lasting legacy of change across Africa, particularly in healthcare capacity, women’s empowerment, and education for girls.
