Merck Foundation CEO and First Ladies of Africa to Call for Action to Build Healthcare and Media Capacity, Break Infertility Stigma and Support Girl Education in 2026 and Beyond
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India & Monrovia, Liberia – Business Wire India Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, conducted the 7th Edition of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative - MFFLI Summit 2025 on 19th and 20th June. The summit was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative along with The First Ladies of 14 African and Asian countries, who joined as the Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers. • H.E. Amai Dr. AUXILLIA MNANGAGWA, The First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe • H.E. Madam MARIE KHONE FAYE, The First Lady of the Republic of Senegal • H.E. Mrs. MARIA DE FATIMA VILA NOVA, The First Lady of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe • H.E. Senator OLUREMI TINUBU, CON, The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria • H.E. Dr. GUETA SELEMANE CHAPO, The First Lady of the Republic of Mozambique • H.E. Mrs. SAJIDHA MOHAMED, The First Lady of the Republic of Maldives • H.E. Mrs. KARTUMU YARTA BOAKAI, The First Lady of the Republic of Liberia • H.E. Mrs. RACHEL RUTO E.G.H., The First Lady of the Republic of Kenya • H.E. Mrs. LORDINA DRAMANI MAHAMA, The First Lady of the Republic of Ghana • H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of the Republic of The Gambia • H.E. Madam ZITA OLIGUI NGUEMA, The First Lady of the Gabonese Republic • H.E. Madam BRIGITTE TOUADERA, The First Lady of the Central African Republic • H.E. Dr. DÉBORA KATISA CARVALHO, The First Lady of the Republic of Cabo Verde • H.E. Dr. ANA DIAS LOURENÇO, The First Lady of the Republic of Angola Merck Foundation CEO, Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej emphasized, “I am very proud to conduct Merck Foundation Africa First Ladies Initiatives –MFFLI, together with our Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers, the First Ladies of 14 African and Asian Countries, who are also the Ambassadors of “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother”. I extend a special welcome to the new members joining our platform. Together we reflected on the impact of our programs and discussed our strategy to continue and explant our efforts to build healthcare capacity and raise awareness on a wide range of sensitive and critical social issues like Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Ending Child Marriage & FGM, Stopping GBV, Women Empowerment, and important health issues like Diabetes and Hypertension Awareness.” Watch the speech of Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej during the inaugural program of the Merck Foundation first Ladies Initiative – MFFLI Summit 2025 here: https://youtu.be/SBLMCM1r4hk Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees emphasized “I was pleased to hear from the First Ladies of Africa and Asia about the remarkable progress they have achieved in their countries through Merck Foundation programs. Their achievements play a vital role in our journey of success.” Watch the speech of Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp during the inaugural program of the Merck Foundation first Ladies Initiative – MFFLI Summit 2025 here: https://youtu.be/ilQr8RPw4XY Merck Foundation has provided till today, more than 2270 scholarships to young doctors from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties. During the Inauguration Session of the Luminary, the First Ladies delivered their keynote speeches to share the impact of their partnership journey with Merck Foundation. H.E. Amai Dr. AUXILLIA MNANGAGWA, The First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe & Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than A Mother expressed, “Since our partnership began in 2019, we’ve achieved remarkable milestones. Over 130 scholarships have been provided for our young Zimbabwean doctors in critical and underserved specialties such as Fertility, Oncology, Diabetes, Cardiology, Neonatal Care, Psychiatry, and more. Moreover, through the ‘Educating Linda’ program, we’ve also supported 40 girls by covering their tuition fees to help them complete their education. We have never before witnessed a program of such transformative impact in Zimbabwe, we are making history.” Watch the video of The First Lady of Zimbabwe during the inaugural program of the Merck Foundation first Ladies Initiative – MFFLI Summit 2025 here: https://youtu.be/jusD9ZRL3CQ H.E. Madam MARIE KHONE FAYE, The First Lady of the Republic of Senegal & Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than A Mother shared, “It is an honor to join the 7th Edition of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative Summit. As a first-time participant, I’m happy to be among my dear sisters—First Ladies of Africa and Asia—and truly inspired by their achievements through Merck Foundation. I’m proud to share that Senegal has received 25 scholarships for young doctors in Oncology, Diabetes, Fertility, and Embryology. We look forward to strengthening this partnership, and eager to scale up fur
