Merck Foundation holds 13th Africa Asia luminary with 12 first ladies

The Merck Foundation in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, last Thursday brought together 12 First Ladies from Africa and Asia to inaugurate the 13th Edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary.

The two-day virtual conference, held on June 18 and 19, was opened by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Merck Foundation Board of Trustees chairman and Dr. Rasha Kelej, chief executive officer of Merck Foundation and chairperson of the luminary.

The First Ladies joined as guests of honour and keynote speakers.

“This is a great privilege,” said Kelej, who is also president of the More Than a Mother campaign.

“We exchanged experiences and discussed the impact of our programmes aimed at transforming patient care and raising awareness on critical social and health issues.”

She said they have provided more than 2 600 scholarships for healthcare providers from 52 countries in 44 underserved specialties.

“Many of our alumni have become the first specialists in their countries. Together with our ambassadors and partners, we are making history and transforming patient care across Africa, Asia and beyond,” she said.

The first ladies attending were:

– H.E. Dr. Ana Dias Lourenço, Angola

– H.E. Mrs. Kaone Boko, Botswana

– H.E. Dr. Débora Katisa Carvalho, Cabo Verde

– H.E. Madam Brigitte Touadéra, Central African Republic

– H.E. Madam Zita Oligui Nguema, Gabon

– H.E. Mrs. Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow, The Gambia

– H.E. Mrs. Rachel Ruto, Kenya

– H.E. Mrs. Kartumu Yarta Boakai, Liberia

– H.E. Madam Sajidha Mohamed, Maldives

– H.E. Dr. Gueta Selemane Chapo, Mozambique

– H.E. Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Nigeria

– H.E. Mrs. Maria de Fátima Vila Nova, São Tomé and Príncipe

The luminary marked World Infertility Awareness Month through the Merck Foundation More Than a Mother campaign, which works to empower infertile and childless women with information, health access, education and mindset change.

Of the 2 600 scholarships, more than 800 have gone to healthcare providers in fertility, embryology, sexual and reproductive medicine, clinical psychiatry, women’s health, urology, laparoscopic surgery, and family medicine.

The training is strengthening fertility care and improving women’s health services in 42 countries.

The conference also marked Merck Foundation 9th anniversary and 14 years since its development programmes began in 2012.

Day 1 featured an inaugural session with a high-level panel of the first ladies.

Over 800 healthcare providers, policymakers and media from 57 English, French, and Portuguese-speaking countries attended.

The event was livestreamed, reaching more than 220 000 viewers on social media.

Day 2 held parallel scientific sessions oncology and fertility.

Stangenberg-Haverkamp thanked the First Ladies, ministers, healthcare experts, policymakers and partners for their support.

“We remain committed to improving health and well-being by building healthcare capacity and providing access to quality and equitable healthcare across Africa, Asia and beyond,” he said

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