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.

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