Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, held the 13th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2026 on June 18 and 19 through an online videoconference.

The annual conference was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and Chairperson of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, along with the First Ladies of 12 African and Asian countries, who joined as Guests of Honour and Keynote Speakers.

First Ladies in attendance were Dr. Ana Dias Lourenço of Angola, Kaone Boko of Botswana, Dr. Débora Katisa Carvalho of Cabo Verde, Brigitte Touadera of the Central African Republic, Zita Oligui Nguema of the Gabonese Republic, Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow of the Republic of The Gambia, Rachel Ruto of the Republic of Kenya, Kartumu Yarta Boakai of the Republic of Liberia, Sajidha Mohamed of the Republic of Maldives, Dr. Gueta Selemane Chapo of the Republic of Mozambique, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Maria de Fatima Vila Nova of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe.

Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation, President of “More Than a Mother” and Chairperson of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, said: “It is a great privilege to welcome our distinguished Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers, the First Ladies of Africa and Asia, who are the Ambassadors of our ‘More Than a Mother’ campaign to the 13th Edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary.

“Together, we exchanged valuable experiences and engaged in meaningful discussions on the impact of our programs, which are aimed at transforming patient care and raising awareness of a wide range of critical social and health issues,” Dr. Kelej said.

Dr. Rasha Kelej noted that “I am proud to share that Merck Foundation has provided more than 2,600 scholarships for healthcare providers from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties.”

“Many of our Merck Foundation alumni have become the first specialists in their countries. Together with our Ambassadors and partners, we are making history and transforming the patient care landscape across Africa, Asia, and beyond, ” Dr.Kelej noted

According to her, “During our Conference, we also marked World Infertility Awareness Month, observed annually in June, through our historic ‘Merck Foundation More Than a Mother’ campaign, dedicated to empowering infertile and childless women by providing access to information, health, education, and change of mindset.”

Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, added, “I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the First Ladies of Africa and Asia who joined us as Guests of Honor, as well as to the Ministers, healthcare experts, policymakers, government officials, academia, media representatives, and all our partners for their unwavering support and collaboration.”

“At Merck Foundation, we remain committed to improving health and well-being by building healthcare capacity and providing access to quality and equitable healthcare across Africa, Asia, and beyond. Together, we will continue advancing our vision of a world where everyone can lead a healthy and happy life,” he said.

He further highlighted that “I am pleased to share that, of the over 2,600 scholarships provided by Merck Foundation, more than 800 scholarships have been for healthcare providers in the fields of Fertility, Embryology, Sexual and Reproductive Medicine, Clinical Psychiatry, Women’s Health, Urology, Laparoscopic Surgical Skills, and Family Medicine.”

“These scholarships are helping strengthen fertility care services and improving access to women’s health across 42 countries,” he revealed

During the 13th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, two important occasions were marked;the 9th Anniversary of Merck Foundation and 14 years of Merck Foundation’s development programmes that were started in 2012.

On the first day, the Inaugural Session of the 13th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary took place, featuring a high-level panel of the participating First Ladies of Africa and Asia.

Day one was attended by over 800 participants including healthcare providers, policymakers, and media from 57 English, French, and Portuguese-speaking countries.

Additionally, the conference was live streamed on social media, with over 220,000 social media viewers, further amplifying the impact and extending access to knowledge and dialogue across continents.

Day two of the conference had two parallel scientific sessions covering Oncology and Fertility Topics.

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme