By: Mavis Offei Acheampong
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Merck Foundation, Dr. Rasha Kelej, has expressed the commitment of Merck Foundation to continue to contribute to healthcare capacity advancement and patient care transformation in Africa and Asia.
Speaking at the 10th edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2023 which was held in India, Dr Kelej, said the Foundation had provided more than 1700 scholarships to young doctors from 50 countries in 42 critical and undeserved specialties including diabetes, endocrinology, oncology, cardiovascular, fertility care, embryology, sexual & reproductive medicine, respiratory medicine, critical care, paediatric emergency, gastroenterology, rheumatology, clinical psychiatry, urology, and ophthalmology.
This year’s conference coincided with the celebration the 6th Anniversary of Merck Foundation and 11-year journey of Merck Foundation’s development programs that started in 2012.
Since it is Cancer awareness (Pink October), the conference discussed cancer issues among women , emphasizing its efforts to provide 138 scholarships for Oncology Training in various sub-specialties to doctors from 37 African countries. This initiative has produced many of the first oncologists in their respective nations, highlighting the impact of the foundation’s programs in transforming patient care.
More than 10,000 participants including healthcare providers, policymakers, researchers, academia and media representatives from 70 English, French, Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries attended the Luminary through hybrid model to benefit from five parallel scientific and social sessions to advance healthcare capacity and awareness in 42 critical and underserved medical specialties
Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation, underscored the importance of the Luminary, stating, “I am very proud to welcome our Guests of Honors and Keynote
Speakers, the First Ladies of Africa and Ambassadors of the ‘More Than a Mother’ Campaign, for our annual conference that we have conducted for the first time in India. Together, we shared experiences and discussed the impact of our programs to transform patient care and raise awareness on a wide range of sensitive and critical social and health issues.”
She commended First Ladies in Africa for their support to the Foundation’s initiatives, particularly towards improving healthcare delivery in the areas of fertility, saying “Together with our partners like Africa’s First Ladies, Ministries of Health, Gender, Education and Communication, Academia, Medical societies, we are impacting the lives of people in the most disadvantaged communities in Africa, Asia and beyond.”
She said the Merck Foundation was also working hard to raise awareness on a wide range of sensitive and critical social and health issues such as supporting girl education, ending child marriage, stopping GBV, breaking infertility stigma, ending FGM, women empowerment, diabetes and hypertension awareness “through our various initiatives like Health Media Training, our 8 important awards for media, fashion designers, filmmakers and singers, songs, children storybook and also animation movies.”
The conference was also used to play an educative animation film that addresses diabetes prevention and early detection in Africa, titled “Sugar Free Jude.”
For Dr. Kelej, the ‘Sugar Free Jude’ animation film was “huge step of ours towards using art and creativity to address different sensitive health and social issues in Africa,” urging all participants to share the film on their platforms in order for manty people to see the film.
Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, who is the Chairman of both the Executive Board of E.Merck KG and Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, expressed the foundation’s overarching goal, saying, “At Merck Foundation, our goal is improving overall health and well-being by building healthcare capacity and by providing access to quality & equitable healthcare solutions in Africa, Asia, and beyond.”
Day one of the conference featured a Plenary Session, during which a high-level panel meeting of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative Summit took place.
Day two hosted five parallel Medical and Scientific Sessions, covering areas such as Oncology, Diabetes & Hypertension, Fertility and Reproductive Care, and medical capacity building in other specialties, including respiratory, acute care, emergency pediatric, and neonatal care.
Additionally, a community awareness session, the Merck Foundation Health Media Training session emphasized the vital role of African Journalists in addressing issues such as breaking infertility stigma, supporting girl education, ending gender-based violence, child marriage, and promoting women’s empowerment.
Participating countries in the Luminary included Angola, Kenya, India, Nigeria, the United States, Zimbabwe, and more.
Merck Foundation’s contributions extend beyond scholarships to doctors, with initiatives encompassing media training, awards, and cultural transformation. By empowering healthcare professionals and supporting communities in Africa and underserved regions, the foundation is making significant strides in improving healthcare and changing lives.
Established in 2017, the Merck Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany. Its primary focus is to enhance access to quality and equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, develop healthcare and scientific research capacity, and empower individuals in STEM, with a special emphasis on women and youth.