Senator Rasha Kelej Received Kenya First Lady at the 7th Edition of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative Summit to Discuss Their Joint Programs to Build Healthcare Capacity

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India & Nairobi, Kenya – 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 recently. It was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation & President of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative and H.E. Mrs. RACHEL RUTO E.G.H., First Lady of the Republic of Kenya and Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother” along with First Ladies of Angola, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Maldives, Mozambique, Nigeria, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, and Zimbabwe. Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej expressed, “It was a pleasure meeting my dear sister, H.E. Mrs. RACHEL RUTO E.G.H., First Lady of the Republic of Kenya and Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother” for the 7th Edition of our Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative Summit. I am proud to share that provided 244 scholarships for local Kenyan doctors in many critical and underserved specialties like Fertility & Embryology, Oncology, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Preventative Cardiovascular Medicine, Cardiology, Sexual & Reproductive Care, Gastroenterology, Respiratory Medicine, Acute Medicine, Psychiatry, Internal Medicine, Dermatology, Neonatal Medicine, Urology, Pain Management, Critical Care, Rheumatology and more. And around 50% of these scholarships are provided to female healthcare providers, which is a great milestone of women empowerment.” H.E. Mrs. RACHEL RUTO E.G.H., First Lady of the Republic of Kenya, and Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother” emphasized, “I am very proud of our partnership with Merck Foundation. Together, we are strengthening and transforming our public healthcare landscape, through the 244 scholarships provided for our doctors. This is an extraordinary milestone that will leave a lasting impact on the quality and accessibility of healthcare across our nation. Additionally, we are also supporting girl education through the ‘Educating Linda’ program by sponsoring the education of 47 underprivileged yet high-performing Kenyan schoolgirls, until they graduate.” Watch the Speech of The First Lady of Kenya & Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother during the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative Summit 2025 here: https://youtu.be/FeO0vyc4vts Watch the video of Merck Foundation CEO, Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej receiving H.E. Mrs. RACHEL RUTO E.G.H., First Lady of the Republic of Kenya, and Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother”: youtu.be/uWnBiIG2-EU On day 2 of the Summit, Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative- MFFLI committee meeting was conducted between The First Ladies of Africa and Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO, where the African and Asian First Ladies shared the impact report of Merck Foundation programs in their respective countries, and future strategy was discussed. Watch the video of MFFLI committee meeting: https://youtu.be/G2YlJgkagNQ Together with Kenya First Lady, Merck Foundation has provided 224 scholarships for young doctors in many critical and underserved specialties. Out of the 244 scholarships: • 123 scholarships have been provided for one-year PG Diploma and two-year Master degree in Diabetes, Preventative Cardiovascular Medicine, Cardiology and Endocrinology for Kenyan doctors from different provinces across the country. Upon completion of their training, many Merck Foundation Alumni have gone on to open their own specialized clinics. These experts not only provide much-needed care, but also play a crucial role in raising awareness about the prevention and early signs of diabetes. • 10 Scholarships have been provided for Oncology to develop and support the cancer care capacity in the country, a very critical speciality considering the increasing number of the cancer patients in the country and the continent. • 46 scholarships have been provided for Fertility, Embryology, and one-year PG Diploma and two-year Master degree in Sexual and Reproductive Medicine, as a part of “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” Campaign. • Moreover, 64 Scholarships of one-year Online PG Diploma and two-Year Master degree provided in many other critical and underserved specialties like Gastroenterology, Respiratory Medicine, Acute Medicine, Psychiatry, Internal Medicine, Dermatology, Neonatal Medicine, Urology, Pain Management, Critical Care, Rheumatology and more, as part of their Capacity Advancement Program. Overall, Merck Foundation has so far provided 2280 scholarships for doctors from 52 countries in 44 underserved medical specialties. “We have always believed in the importance of building healthcare capacity and have been working for it since 2012. We will continue to build and enhance healthcare capacity in the Kenya and the rest of the