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Over 32,000 people from more than 70 countries participate in 8th Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary

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The 8th edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary to mark the 4th anniversary of Merck Foundation has been held.
The programme which is being held via a virtual conference from April 27 to 29 is co-hosted by the First Lady of Zambia, Esther Lungu and Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Merck Foundation, to create the platform for dialogue measures for access to improved health care systems and enhanced capacity of medical practitioners.
The programme conducted online as a Videoconference, had more than 32,000 participants from more than 70 countries
made up of health ministers, medical practitioners, researchers, and the media among others discussing strategies and solutions for health challenges in their countries with that aim to contribute to improving access to quality participants.
Speaking at the inaugural session on Tuesday April 27, The Chief Executive Officer of Merck Foundation, Dr.Rasha Kelej, said as the CEO of Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck, “I am very proud to
work together with all of you to realize our vision of a world where ‘Everyone Can Lead a Healthy and Fulfilling Life.”
“It gives us a great honor to have The President of Zambia, H.E. MR. EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU with us today to officially inaugurate the 8th Edition of Merck Africa Asia Luminary, that I Co-chair with The First Lady of Zambia, H. E. Mrs. ESTHER LUNGU”, she noted.
Dr.Kelej acknowledged the Chairman of Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Executive Board of E. Merck KG, Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp for his
valuable guidance and support for Merck Foundation strategy and programs which has enabled them to create a significant impact in the under-served communities across the world and specially during coronavirus pandemic.
She said the programme was aimed at equitable healthcare solutions and building healthcare capacity in many critical and underserved medical fields such as; Diabetes, cardiovascular, endocrinology, Cancer, Research, Fertility Care, Women Health, Sexual & Reproductive care, Respiratory Medicines, and Acute Medicines.
She added that More than 1100 doctor from 42 countries have benefited from Merck Foundation scholarship in the above fields, and more will join in the next few years to benefit from more scholarships in more specialties such as: Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, Mental Health, Orthopedic Trauma, Paediatric, Emergency
Medicine, Dermatology, Neonatal Medicine, Pain Management, Psychiatry, Clinical
Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, Ophthalmology, Urology, Trauma and orthopedics.
According to Dr.Kelej, Merck Foundation started this smart capacity building strategy in partnership with African First Ladies and Ministries of Health and Medical Societies since 2012, which
contributed significantly towards transforming and reshaping the landscape of the public healthcare sector and towards advancing patient care in 42 countries.
President of The Republic of Zambia, Dr.Edgar Chagwa Lungu urged First Ladies of various countries to continue in their quest to prioritise the human lives in their respective countries through such strategic collaborations.
He said as the population of the continent grows to nearly 1.4 billion people, the leaders must build efficient healthcare systems and train more specialists to keep the population healthy and productive.
On this score he called for stronger political commitment and strategic partnership to be the way forward.
He expressed his appreciation to Merck Foundation for partnering other African countries to reshape and improve the healthcare systems.
The First Lady of Zambia, Esther Lungu, in her opening address said, ” let me recognize my Co-Chair, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej and take this opportunity to congratulate you on your appointment as Senator of the Egyptian Senate from 2020 to 2025 by the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, His Excellency Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.”
She noted that Merck Foundation has been a long-term partner in building capacity for health workers, in improving access to healthcare, information and breaking the
silence,stigma and discrimination associated with infertility.
“We are indebted to Merck Foundation for selecting Zambia to host this important knowledge-platform where we will discuss cross cutting issues to address various health and social challenges besidesfindingsolutions to improve the health and wellbeing of our nations,” the First Lady of Zambia added.
On her part, the first lady of Ghana, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo said, the Merck Foundation had partnered Ghana on numerous area in resolving some challenges in the health sector.
This, she said included training of medical practitioners, launching of campaigns to create awareness and building robust health system among others.
She urged other African countries to take a lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic to build a efficient health systems to fight future pandemics.
Together with other First Ladies from Africa among others, they discuss strategy realization to build healthcare capacity, respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, provide the necessary training to establish a strong platform of experts in many important and critical specialties in their countries in collaboration with their Offices and Ministries of Health.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
News
Dr Bawumia becomes new leader of New Patriotic Party ahead of 2028 elections

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has become the new leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) after delegates approved a constitutional amendment making the party’s flagbearer its leader.
The amendment was approved on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at the NPP’s National Delegates Conference held at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.
The decision makes Dr Bawumia the leader of the NPP as the party prepares for the 2028 general elections, having earlier been elected as its presidential candidate.
The change was contained in one of 14 constitutional amendments presented to delegates by the party’s Constitution Amendment Committee.
The amendments were approved through a voice vote, with delegates responding in favour of the motions.
The latest amendment reverses a provision approved at the party’s January 31, 2026 conference, which made the National Chairman the leader of the party at all material times.
The approved amendment provides for the flagbearer to assume the leadership of the party when the NPP wins an election and the flagbearer becomes President.
The amendment also reinstates the President as a member of the National Executive Committee when the party is in government.
The Chairman of the NPP Constitution Amendment Committee, Frank Davies, explained that the amendments were necessary to address gaps identified in the party’s previous constitutional review.
The constitutional amendments formed the first part of the conference before delegates proceeded to elect new national executives.
A total of 7,163 delegates from all 16 regions participated in the conference, with voting conducted at 31 polling stations for nine national executive positions.
The Electoral Commission supervised the elections and verified delegates.
Other approved amendments include changes to the election of Vice Chairpersons, allowing candidates to contest specific Vice Chairperson positions instead of being ranked according to the number of votes they receive.
Delegates approved the appointment of three additional Vice Chairpersons, the creation of Deputy Communications Officer positions and the elevation of the Information Technology Officer to an executive position.
Addressing delegates after the constitutional amendments and as the party prepared for the national executive elections, Dr Bawumia called for unity and peaceful voting.
He urged the 47 aspirants contesting nine national positions to accept the outcome of the elections and continue working together for the party.
“Let us vote in peace, accept the results in good faith and leave Kumasi as one family,” he told the delegates.
Dr Bawumia congratulated all the aspirants for putting themselves forward to serve the party and urged those who won to reach out to their fellow contestants.
He assured those who lost that the party would still need their experience and contribution.
The NPP flagbearer further reflected on the party’s reorganisation since the December 2024 general elections, saying the party had listened to its grassroots members and learnt lessons about its organisation, communication and engagement with supporters.
He noted that the party had elected its structures from the polling station to the regional level and had also begun preparations towards its next programme for government.
Dr Bawumia said his early election as the party’s presidential candidate had allowed him and the party to begin work on policy development ahead of the 2028 campaign.
He said various policy committees had been established and engagements with different groups and stakeholders were ongoing.
Turning to national issues, Dr Bawumia used his address to criticise the government over what he described as failures to fulfil several campaign promises.
He specifically questioned the progress of the NDC government’s proposed 24-hour economy, the women’s development bank, electricity tariffs, the cost of transportation and other economic challenges facing households and businesses.
On the economy, he defended the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme, arguing that the programme introduced under the previous NPP administration had contributed to stability in the Ghanaian currency.
Dr Bawumia further criticised the government over the stalled implementation of projects including Agenda 111 and raised concerns about the management of the Free Senior High School programme.
He addressed recent drug seizures involving consignments traced to Ghana, calling for a bipartisan parliamentary committee to investigate how such shipments were able to leave the country.
On the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, he accused the government of failing to deliver on its promises to tackle the problem and restore polluted water bodies.
He criticised the government over promises relating to cocoa prices, teacher and nurse postings, the teacher licensure examination and payments to customers of collapsed financial institutions.
These claims formed part of Dr Bawumia’s political assessment of the NDC government’s performance and were presented by him as reasons why the NPP should return to government.
He accused the government of what he described as the “weaponization of state power” and alleged that different standards of justice were being applied to government supporters and opposition figures.
Dr Bawumia said the NPP would, if returned to power, pursue what he described as one standard of justice for all citizens regardless of political affiliation.
He ended his address by urging the incoming national executives to build a strong party organisation, focus on holding the government to account and communicate the party’s policies to Ghanaians.
The NPP’s new leadership structure and national executive team will now oversee the party’s reorganisation and preparations towards the 2028 general elections.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
I’ll unite NPP for Bawumia’s 2028 victory- Titus Glover

Newly elected National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, has pledged to work to ensure peace, unity and respect within the party as it prepares for the 2028 general elections.
Mr Glover said he would work to strengthen the party and help actualise the vision of its flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, becoming President of Ghana in 2028.
He made the remarks in his victory speech at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi after winning the NPP National Organiser position at the party’s National Delegates Conference on Saturday, October 3, 2026.
Mr Glover polled 2,964 votes to win the election, defeating his closest contender, Ali Maiga Halidu, who obtained 2,231 votes.
Emmanuel Korsi Bodja polled 145 votes in the contest.
Mr Glover thanked delegates for electing him and promised to work hard to justify the confidence they had placed in him.
“I will work very hard. What I’ll bring is peace, unity, respect, and that we use for governance,” he said.
He explained that peace, unity and respect were necessary for the party to effectively organise and prepare for the elections.
“If you are doing governance and you don’t bring peace and unity and respect, the work will be hard,” he added.
Mr Glover acknowledged the task ahead of the newly elected national executives, describing it as a major responsibility that would require commitment from members.
“The job is big. There’s a lot of work ahead of us. We need love. We need peace. We need unity,” he said.
He urged members of the NPP to remain united and work together beyond the internal elections.
According to him, his focus would be to contribute to the party’s efforts to win the 2028 general elections, with Dr Bawumia’s presidential bid forming a central part of that objective.
“Dr Bawumia has to become the President of this country. That’s the vision for NPP, that we have to work hard for Dr Bawumia to become the President of the Republic,” Mr Glover stated.
He said he was determined to use his new position to contribute to the development of the NPP and Ghana.
Mr Glover’s election forms part of the new national executive team elected by delegates at the conference to lead the affairs of the party.
The newly elected executives are expected to oversee the party’s reorganisation and strengthen its structures as the NPP prepares for the 2028 general elections.
By: Jacob Aggrey




