News
Invest in Health Workers Training and Retention — Merck Foundation Board Chair
African governments have been urged to prioritise investments in training and retaining healthcare professionals to curb the continent’s worsening brain drain and improve access to quality healthcare.
Chairman of the Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, Professor Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp said Africa cannot achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) without a strong and well-retained health workforce capable of responding to the region’s high disease burden.
“Africa carries 24 percent of the world’s disease burden yet has only 2.9 healthcare workers per 1,000 people. Building capacity is not enough; we must retain the talents we train,” he said.
Prof. Stangenberg-Haverkamp made the remarks at the opening of the 12th Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary in Banjul, The Gambia, on Friday.
Chaired by the Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, with the First Lady of The Gambia, Madame Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow, as co-chair, the meeting brought together First Ladies from across Africa, government ministers, healthcare experts, policymakers, and media professionals to advance efforts to build a responsive health system in Africa.
Prof. Stangenberg-Haverkamp noted that while lack of financial resources remains a challenge to attaining UHC, the more critical barrier is the scarcity of skilled healthcare providers, which continues to undermine healthcare delivery across many countries.
“We believe that good healthcare can transform the lives of individuals and families across developing countries.
Its significance contributes to the economic and social development of any country because healthcare is a major driver of both, and our governments must rise to the task,” he stressed.
The Board Chair highlighted Merck Foundation’s contribution to strengthening Africa’s healthcare systems, including providing more than 2,400 scholarships since 2012 to doctors and healthcare workers from 52 countries.
The training covers 44 underserved medical specialties, including oncology, fertility and reproductive care, diabetology, cardiology, respiratory and critical care, neonatal care, and internal medicine.
Prof. Stangenberg-Haverkamp reinforced the Foundation’s commitment to breaking infertility stigma and promoting girls’ education through the “More Than a Mother” and “Educating Linda” initiatives, which support women’s empowerment and scholarships for underprivileged girls.
He assured that Merck Foundation will continue to work with First Ladies and partners to bridge healthcare gaps and build resilient health systems across the continent.
Dr. Kelej expressed the Foundation’s commitment to continue rolling out programmes to transform patient care and address critical social and health issues on the continent.
“Before our interventions, some countries like Burundi, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia had no specialists in key fields such as oncology, fertility, or ICU care.
Patients either had to travel abroad or had no access to treatment at all. It’s really amazing that these scholarships have actually transformed the patient care landscape in the public sectors in all these countries, and today, we are changing that story,” she said.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
Ahyiresu and Abofrem, two quiet communities in the Atwima Mponua District, have been shaken to the core by a chilling midnight drama that reads like a nightmare.
A pastor and a young mother stand accused of attempting to bury a five‑month‑old baby girl alive, a crime that has ignited outrage and disbelief across the township.
According to police, Apostle Richmond Akwasi Frimpong, 36, Head Pastor of the Anointed Grace Prayer Ministry at Kuffour Camp, conspired with his uncle Emmanuel Appiah, 53, and the child’s mother, 23‑year‑old Beatrice Agyapomaa, to dispose of the infant, Anaya Achiaa, under the cover of darkness.
A fourth suspect, Emmanuel Donkor, remains on the run.
The suspects were caught near a refuse dump around 10 pm on April 9, 2026, after a vigilant resident, Akwasi Twezor, noticed their suspicious movements.
When confronted, they claimed the child was already dead and had palace approval for burial. But Twezor’s instincts proved right—the baby was still alive, gasping faintly for breath.
Chief Linguist, Nana Yaw Badu, later confirmed that Frimpong had misled him earlier in the evening, securing permission for burial by falsely declaring the child dead.
The infant was rushed to the Abofrem Clinic, where she is now responding well to treatment. Police described her as “very beautiful.”
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Evelyn Yitamkey, Commander of DOVVSU in Bibiani, confirmed that the suspects have been provisionally charged.
Frimpong faces attempted murder and conspiracy charges, while Agyapomaa and Appiah are charged with conspiracy and abetment.
They were remanded by the Bibiani Circuit Court, presided over by Judge Frank Asiedu Nimako, to assist investigations.
The docket has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department for advice, ASP Yitamkey indicated.
The attempted crime has provoked fury among residents, many suspecting ritual motives aimed at bolstering the pastor’s influence.
Crowds attempted to attack the suspects outside court, but police intervention prevented mob justice.
The Assembly Member for Ahyiresu, Yusuf Suleiman, has assured residents that justice will be pursued swiftly.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
The forecourt of the African University of Communications and Business (AUCB) in Accra came alive on Friday with colour, creativity and innovation, as Level 300 students transformed the space into a lively exhibition of ideas.
Under the theme “Building meaningful brands beyond the logo,” the students invited patrons into a world where ordinary products were reimagined through storytelling, design and purpose.
From scented candles to innovative food concepts, each stand told a unique story, one that went beyond aesthetics to capture identity, value and human connection.
For many of the students, the event was more than just an academic exercise; it was a moment to dream out loud.
Guided by their lecturer, Peter Wonders, they explored what it truly means to build a brand in today’s competitive world where trust, consistency and experience matter just as much as logos and slogans.
Chairman of the occasion, Nana Kum Gyata VI, in his remarks said a brand is what people say about you when you are not present.
At the end of the presentations, awards were presented to deserving groups with Vida Nyaneba emerging as the overall best branding student.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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