Dubai, United Arab Emirates & Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

• Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO together with the First Ladies of Angola, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Gabon, The Gambia, Kenya, Liberia, Maldives, Mozambique, Nigeria and São Tomé and Príncipe inaugurated the 13^th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2026.
• Link to Live Stream of Inaugural Session of 13^th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2026: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ECXNpQsaJ/.

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, conducted the 13t^h Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2026 on 18t^h and 19t^h June, through an online videoconference. The annual conference was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and Chairperson of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, along with The First Ladies of 12 African and Asian countries, who joined as the Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers.

Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.), CEO of Merck Foundation, President of “More Than a Mother” and Chairperson of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary emphasized, “It is a great privilege to welcome our distinguished Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers, The First Ladies of Africa and Asia, who are the Ambassadors of our ‘More Than a Mother’ campaign to the 13t^h Edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary.

Together, we exchanged valuable experiences and engaged in meaningful discussions on the impact of our programs, which are aimed at transforming patient care and raising awareness of a wide range of critical social and health issues.”

Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, added, “I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the First Ladies of Africa and Asia who joined us as Guests of Honor, as well as to the Ministers, healthcare experts, policymakers, government officials, academia, media representatives, and all our partners for their unwavering support and collaboration. At Merck Foundation, we remain committed to improving health a,nd well-being by building healthcare capacity and providing access to quality and equitable healthcare across Africa, Asia, and beyond. Together, we will continue advancing our vision of a world where everyone can lead a healthy and happy life.”

The First Ladies of African and Asian Countries, who joined the 13t^h Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary are:

• H.E. Dr. ANA DIAS LOURENÇO, First Lady of the Republic of Angola
• H.E. Mrs. KAONE BOKO, First Lady of the Republic of Botswana
• H.E. Dr. DÉBORA KATISA CARVALHO, First Lady of the Republic of Cabo Verde
• H.E. Madam BRIGITTE TOUADERA, First Lady of the Central African Republic
• H.E. Madam ZITA OLIGUI NGUEMA, First Lady of the Gabonese Republic
• H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, First Lady of the Republic of The Gambia
• H.E. Mrs. RACHEL RUTO, First Lady of the Republic of Kenya
• H.E. Mrs. KARTUMU YARTA BOAKAI, First Lady of the Republic of Liberia
• H.E. Madam SAJIDHA MOHAMED, First Lady of the Republic of Maldives
• H.E. Dr. GUETA SELEMANE CHAPO, First Lady of the Republic of Mozambique
• H.E. Senator OLUREMI TINUBU, CON, First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
• H.E. Mrs. MARIA DE FATIMA VILA NOVA, First Lady of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe

Dr. Rasha Kelej shared, “I am proud to share that Merck Foundation has provided more than 2600 scholarships for healthcare providers from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties. Many of our Merck Foundation alumni have become the first specialists in their countries. Together with our Ambassadors and partners, we are making history and transforming the patient care landscape across Africa, Asia, and beyond.”

She further added, “During our Conference, we also marked World Infertility Awareness Month, observed annually in June, through our historic “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” campaign, dedicated to empowering infertile and childless women by providing access to information, health, education, and change of mindset.

I am pleased to share that, of the 2,600+ scholarships provided by Merck Foundation, more than 800 scholarships have been for healthcare providers in the fields of Fertility, Embryology, Sexual and Reproductive Medicine, Clinical Psychiatry, Women’s Health, Urology, Laparoscopic Surgical Skills, and Family Medicine. These scholarships are helping strengthen fertility care services and improving access to women’s health across 42 countries.”

During the 13t^h Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, two important occasions were marked; the 9t^h Anniversary of Merck Foundation and 14 years of Merck Foundation’s development programs that were started in 2012.

On the first day, the Inaugural Session of the 13t^h Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary took place, featuring a high-level panel of the participating First Ladies of Africa and Asia.

Day 1 was attended by over 800 participants, including healthcare providers, policymakers, and media from 57 English-, French-, and Portuguese-speaking countries. Additionally, the conference was live streamed on social media, with over 220K+ social media viewers, further amplifying the impact and extending access to knowledge and dialogue across continents.

Day 2 of the conference will have two parallel scientific sessions covering Oncology and Fertility Topics.

The 13t^h Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary is streamed live on the Social Media Handles of Merck Foundation and Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation:

@Merck Foundation: Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

@Rasha Kelej: Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

Link to the Facebook live stream of Inaugural Session of Merck Foundation First Ladies High Level Panel: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ECXNpQsaJ/.

Merck Foundation is transforming the patient care landscape and making history together with their partners in Africa, Asia, and beyond, through:

• 2600+ Scholarships provided by Merck Foundation for healthcare providers from 52 Countries in 44 critical and underserved medical specialties.

Merck Foundation is also creating a culture shift and breaking the silence about a wide range of social and health issues in Africa and underserved communities through:

• 4000+ Media Representatives from more than 42 countries trained by Merck Foundation to better raise awareness about different social and health issues.
• 8 Different Awards launched annually for best Media coverage, Song, Films, and Fashion contributing to raise awareness and break the silence.
• Around 30 songs to address health and social issues, by local singers across Africa in English, French, Portuguese, and local languages.
• 9 Children’s Storybooks in four languages - English, French, Portuguese, and Swahili.
• 6 Awareness Animation Films in five languages - English, French, Portuguese, Spanish and Swahili to raise awareness about breaking infertility stigma, supporting girl education and prevention and early detection of Diabetes, Hypertension & Cancer.
• Pan African TV Program “Our Africa by Merck Foundation” addressing Social and Health Issues in Africa through “Fashion and ART with Purpose” Community.
• 1550+ Annual Scholarships awarded to African schoolgirls from 21 countries, covering school fees and other essential educational expenses, including books, uniforms and transport, to help them to complete their studies and empower them to reach their full potential.
• 15 Social Media Channels with more than 9 Million Followers.

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About Merck Foundation

The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality & equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare & scientific research capacity, empowering girls in education and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website. Please visit www.merck-foundation.com to read more. Follow the social media of Merck Foundation: Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, Threads and Flickr.

The Merck Foundation is dedicated to improving social and health outcomes for communities in need. While it collaborates with various partners, including governments to achieve its humanitarian goals, the foundation remains strictly neutral in political matters. It does not engage in or support any political activities, elections, or regimes, focusing solely on its mission to elevate humanity and enhance well-being while maintaining a strict non-political stance in all of its endeavors.

“This is a company press release that is not part of editorial content. No journalist of The Hindu was involved in the publication of this release.”