Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2025 Strengthens Health and Social Impact

The high-level conference brought together African and Asian leaders to advance healthcare capacity, women empowerment, and social transformation across underserved communities.

The Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA, Germany, successfully conducted the 12th edition of its annual flagship conference, “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary”, in partnership with the Government of The Gambia, in Banjul, The Gambia. The high-level conference brought together African and Asian leaders to advance healthcare capacity, women empowerment, and social transformation across underserved communities.

The conference was co-chaired by H.E. Mrs. Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow, First Lady of The Gambia and Ambassador of Merck Foundation’s “More Than a Mother” initiative, and Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of “More Than a Mother”. The event witnessed the participation of H.E. Mrs. Kartumu Yarta Boakai, First Lady of the Republic of Liberia and Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother”, along with the First Ladies of Burundi, Central African Republic, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Senegal, who joined as Guests of Honour and Keynote Speakers.

Strengthening Healthcare Capacity in Liberia

Highlighting the impact of joint initiatives, Dr. Rasha Kelej emphasised that Merck Foundation, in collaboration with the First Lady of Liberia, has provided 52 scholarships to young Liberian doctors across critical medical specialties including Fertility, Embryology, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Oncology, Diabetes Care, Acute Medicine, Paediatrics, and Dermatology. Many beneficiaries have gone on to become the first specialists in Liberia’s public healthcare sector, significantly strengthening national healthcare capacity. She also noted with pride that Liberia’s current Minister of Health is a Merck Foundation alumnus, reflecting the long-term institutional impact of the programme.

Echoing these sentiments, H.E. Mrs. Kartumu Yarta Boakai stated that since her appointment as Ambassador of “More Than a Mother”, Liberia has witnessed tangible progress in healthcare and education. In addition to the 52 medical scholarships, the “Educating Linda” programme is supporting 40 high-performing but underprivileged girls every year with scholarships to continue their education until graduation, helping to break cycles of poverty and gender inequality.

Conference Highlights and High-Level Engagement

On Day 1, the conference featured a Plenary Session with keynote addresses by African First Ladies, followed by a high-level ministerial panel discussion with African Ministers, focusing on healthcare transformation, women empowerment, and sustainable development.

On Day 2, the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI) Committee Meeting was held, bringing together African First Ladies with the Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO. During the meeting, country-wise impact reports were shared, and future strategies were discussed to scale up healthcare, education, and social awareness initiatives across the continent.

Detailed Impact in Liberia

Out of the 52 scholarships provided in Liberia:

• 28 scholarships support training in Fertility, Embryology, and Sexual & Reproductive Medicine, aimed at breaking infertility stigma and empowering women.

• 5 scholarships are dedicated to Oncology, helping reshape cancer care in the country.

• 9 scholarships support Acute Medicine, Dermatology, Infectious Diseases, Paediatrics, Child Health, and Nursing.

• 10 scholarships focus on Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, enabling doctors to establish specialised diabetes clinics nationwide.

Additionally, Merck Foundation distributed 3,000 essential school item sets to children in Liberia and launched nine children’s storybooks addressing critical social and health issues such as infertility stigma, girl education, ending child marriage and gender-based violence, and raising awareness on diabetes, hypertension, and cancer. Thousands of copies have already been distributed to school students.

The Foundation also announced a call for applications for eight major awards in partnership with the First Lady of Liberia, targeting media professionals, musicians, fashion designers, filmmakers, students, and emerging talents, to amplify awareness and advocacy through creative platforms.

Pan-Africa and Asia Impact of Merck Foundation

Summarising its global impact, Merck Foundation has:

• Provided 2,500+ scholarships to healthcare providers from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties.

• Trained 3,700+ media representatives from over 35 countries.

• Launched 8 annual awards, produced 30 awareness songs, 9 children’s storybooks, 6 animation films, and the pan-African TV programme “Our Africa by Merck Foundation”.

• Supported 1,200+ underprivileged African schoolgirls annually from 18 countries through education scholarships.

• Built a strong digital outreach with 15 social media channels and over 8.5 million followers.

The 12th Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary was streamed live across Merck Foundation and Dr. Rasha Kelej’s social media platforms, ensuring wide global participation and visibility.

Through its integrated approach combining healthcare training, education, advocacy, and culture, Merck Foundation continues to transform lives, strengthen health systems, and drive long-term social change across Africa, Asia, and beyond.