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Step up efforts to address Africa’s health, social challenges —First Lady
Ghana’s First Lady, Mrs Lordina Mahama, has urged fellow First Ladies to step up efforts in addressing Africa’s health and social challenges through collaboration, compassion, and innovation.
She said this at the 2025 Merck Foundation Africa First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI) Platform in Dubai on Wednesday.
According to her, African leaders needed to combine passion with expertise and forge strong public-private partnerships to build healthier and more inclusive societies across the continent.
“Africa must aspire to greatness by uniting public and private efforts, combining passion with expertise, and ensuring that every life, no matter how remote or marginalised, can flourish,” she emphasised.
Mrs Mahama highlighted the positive impact of the Merck Foundation Talent Programme in Ghana, which has empowered 110 young people in the creative sector including music, ICT, filmmaking, and fashion.
group photograph
flanked by the Ghanaian team
plesantries with one of the first lady
CEO of Merck Foundation
Senator Dr Rasha Kelej
She noted that such initiatives help the youth discover their potential and pursue excellence.
Expressing deep appreciation to the Merck Foundation, she commended its 30 years of support, describing it as a legacy of empowering communities to “heal, dream, and rise.”
She pledged continued collaboration through the Lordina Foundation in order to improve healthcare, promote education, and combat stigma in Ghana. “Our partnership with you will deliver a lot to the benefit of our people,” she affirmed.
Joined by 16 other African First Ladies, Mrs Mahama praised the Foundation’s efforts in transforming public health, advancing girls’ education, and strengthening media across the continent. “We must raise our voices and break the silence so that every woman recognises her worth and every child grows in dignity and health,” she urged.
The Merck Foundation CEO, Senator Rasha Kelej, shared that over 2,270 scholarships had been awarded to doctors from 52 countries in 44 underserved specialties.
These include oncology, fertility, diabetes, hypertension, internal medicine, reproductive health, pediatric emergency care, critical care, rheumatology, urology, psychiatry, ophthalmology, trauma and orthopedics, dermatology and palliative care, among others.
ACCORDING to Senator Kelej, many of the recipients have become the first specialists in their countries, serving patients who previously had no access to such expertise.
Additionally, about 1,000 girls have benefited from scholarships across 17 countries in partnership with African First Ladies.
Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of the Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, cited a World Health Organisation (WHO) report showing Africa’s 24 per cent of the global disease burden but has only 2.91 healthcare workers per 1,000 people.
He noted that Merck Foundation’s programmes have helped close the gap, particularly in critical areas such as oncology and fertility care, where many countries previously had no specialists.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
News
Gov’t to build new public technical university in Western Region – Pres. Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has announced that his government will build a new public technical university in the Western Region to expand access to technical and vocational education for young people.
In a speech at the Jubilee House during a courtesy call by the Paramount Chief of the Essikado Traditional Area, Nana Kobina Nketsia V, and other members of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, President Mahama said the new university forms part of a broader plan to prepare the region’s youth for emerging job opportunities in mining, oil and gas, agribusiness, and digital industries.
He explained that the technical university will be designed to meet the practical needs of industries in the region and across the country.
According to him, this move is crucial to Ghana’s long-term development goals, especially as the Western Region continues to contribute significantly to the national economy through natural resources.
“The Western Region holds immense potential to lead Ghana into a new era of industrialization and job creation. But we must equip our young people with the right skills. That is why we are building a new public technical university here” the President intimated.
He added that this new institution will work alongside other youth-focused programs, including a region-wide employment initiative focused on agri-tech, tourism, green jobs, and digital entrepreneurship.
President Mahama revealed plans to upgrade the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital into a modern teaching hospital that will serve as a referral center for the Western and Western North regions.
This, he said, would improve healthcare delivery and provide training grounds for medical students.
He assured the chiefs that these initiatives would help bridge development gaps and ensure that the youth in the region have better access to education, training, and jobs.
The President urged the chiefs to support these efforts by promoting peace, unity, and development in their communities.
News
Oil-producing communities in Western Region to benefit from sea defense and social projects – Prez Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has assured that coastal communities in the Western Region affected by oil and gas activities will see direct improvements in infrastructure, sea defense, and social services under his next development agenda.
The president made it clear that the discovery of petroleum in the region must be a blessing and not a burden.
He stated that towns like Essiama and Anochie, located in the oil-producing enclaves, would benefit from better roads, bridges, schools, health facilities, and agribusiness support as part of the government’s commitment to inclusive development.
He explained that the government is expanding sea defense projects along the coast to protect fishing communities from tidal wave erosion.
These efforts, he noted are also aimed at preserving marine livelihoods and supporting the coastal economy.
President Mahama revealed that the government will establish a dedicated oil and gas services hub at the Takoradi Port through a public-private partnership.
He said the expansion of the port would include new container terminals and dry bulk facilities to boost exports and reduce delays for vessels.
He added that the (Local Content and Local Participation) Regulations, 2013 (L.I. 2204) would be strengthened to ensure young people in the Western Region gain access to petroleum jobs, contracts, and technical training.
The president also announced that the Ministry of Energy had been directed to renegotiate land arrangements with landowners around the planned petroleum hub.
He said the government will release unused portions of land back to communities and pay compensation for land that will be used, starting with 5,000 hectares instead of the initially acquired 20,000 hectares.
He stressed that oil wealth must translate into better living conditions for the people whose lands and livelihoods are affected by exploration and production activities.
Jacob Aggrey
