Merck Foundation Expands Africa Health Drive at 12th Luminary Meet

Dr. Rasha Kelej announced that 29 scholarships have been provided to Senegalese doctors in critical specialties including oncology, diabetes, fertility and embryology.

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, convened the 12th Edition of the “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary” in partnership with the Government of The Gambia, reinforcing its commitment to strengthening healthcare systems and driving social change across Africa and Asia.

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 campaign, and Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.), CEO of Merck Foundation and President of More Than a Mother.

First Ladies from Senegal, Burundi, Central African Republic, Liberia, Nigeria and São Tomé and Príncipe joined as Guests of Honor and keynote speakers, underscoring the growing continental backing for the Foundation’s health and education initiatives.

Senegal Partnership: 29 Medical Scholarships and Girl Education Drive

A key highlight of the summit was the expanded collaboration with H.E. Madam Marie Khone Faye, First Lady of Senegal and Ambassador of More Than a Mother.

Dr. Rasha Kelej announced that 29 scholarships have been provided to Senegalese doctors in critical specialties including oncology, diabetes, fertility and embryology.

Breakdown of the 29 scholarships:

• 8 scholarships in Oncology to enhance cancer care access within Senegal

• 11 scholarships in Fertility, Embryology, and Sexual & Reproductive Health, including one-year postgraduate and two-year master’s degrees

• 10 scholarships for a Diabetes Master Course, equipping doctors to strengthen both treatment and prevention efforts

In addition, Merck Foundation and the First Lady of Senegal have launched the “Educating Linda” programme, providing annual scholarships to 40 high-performing, underprivileged schoolgirls to support continued education.

“All of these scholarships are of great importance and are helping us transform our patient care landscape,” the First Lady of Senegal said.

2,500+ Scholarships Across 52 Countries

Since 2012, Merck Foundation has provided more than 2,500 scholarships to healthcare providers from 52 countries across 44 underserved medical specialties, making it one of the largest philanthropic medical capacity-building initiatives on the continent.

“We have always believed in building healthcare capacity,” said Dr. Rasha Kelej. “We will continue to provide scholarships for doctors from Senegal and beyond.”

The Foundation’s strategy focuses on enabling countries to deliver specialized care locally, reducing reliance on overseas treatment and strengthening national health systems.

MARS Strategy and Women in STEM

Day One of the Luminary conference featured a plenary session and a high-level ministerial panel to discuss the Merck Foundation African Research Summit (MARS) strategy, aimed at:

• Strengthening scientific research capacity

• Empowering women in STEM

• Enhancing collaboration among African researchers

Day Two included the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI) Committee Meeting, where First Ladies presented impact reports from their respective countries and discussed future strategy with Merck Foundation leadership.

Driving Social Change Beyond Healthcare

Beyond medical scholarships, Merck Foundation is pursuing a wide-reaching social transformation agenda.

Key impact figures include:

• 3,700+ media representatives trained across 35+ countries to raise awareness on health and social issues

• 8 annual awards for media, musicians, fashion designers, filmmakers and students

• 30 awareness songs by African artists addressing infertility stigma, GBV, diabetes and more

• 9 children’s storybooks in four languages (English, French, Portuguese, Swahili)

• 6 animated awareness films in five languages

• Pan-African TV programme “Our Africa by Merck Foundation”

• 1,040+ annual scholarships for underprivileged African schoolgirls from 18 countries

• 15 social media platforms with over 8.5 million followers

In Senegal, the Foundation recently conducted Online Health Media Training to encourage journalists to amplify voices on issues such as girl education, gender-based violence (GBV), female genital mutilation (FGM), diabetes and hypertension awareness.

New children’s storybooks — including More Than a Mother, Educating Linda, Sugar Free Jude, and Mark’s Pressure — will be distributed in French to thousands of schoolchildren to foster early awareness on health and social issues.

A Continental Platform for Policy and Action

The 12th edition of the Africa Asia Luminary was streamed live across Merck Foundation’s social media platforms, expanding global engagement with the summit’s discussions.

By combining healthcare capacity-building, girl education support, media engagement and cultural advocacy, Merck Foundation continues to position itself as a key philanthropic partner to African governments in addressing both systemic health gaps and entrenched social challenges.