Messages

I am deeply honoured to be recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential Africans by New African (UK), and to be named alongside the esteemed leaders of our continent, including the Presidents of Angola, Ghana, and South Africa, as well as many other change makers. Congratulations to all. This recognition is very special to me, as it acknowledges […]

Message from CEO of Merck Foundation, Dr. Rasha Kelej on Meeting the First Lady of Liberia during the 12th Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary to Reshape Patient Care Landscape in Liberia I am proud to share that Merck Foundation recently conducted the 12th Edition of our annual conference, “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary”, in partnership with the Government of

Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation & President of More Than a Mother and H.E. Madam ANGELINE NDAYISHIMIYE, First Lady of the Republic of Burundi at the 12th Edition of “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, recently conducted the 12th Edition of their annual conference, “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary”, in partnership with the Government of The Gambia in Banjul, The

I am proud to share that werecently conducted the 12th Edition of our annual conference, “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary”, in partnership with the Government of The Gambia. The conference was co-chaired by H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of Gambia & Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother and Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation & President of More Than a

Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO with the First Ladies of Africa and Asia during the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative Summit 2025  At Merck Foundation, we mark World Cancer Day through our sustained, everyday efforts to transform cancer care in Africa by addressing one of its most critical gaps: late diagnosis and the shortage of trained

CEO of Merck Foundation, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.) with Fashion Designers displaying designs on STOP FGM. I am happy to mark the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 2026, together with  my dear sisters the First Ladies of Africa through our “More Than a Mother” and “Educating Linda” programs. FGM is a harmful practice that

I am deeply honored to be recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential African Women for the seventh consecutive year. It is a privilege to be named alongside Africa’s esteemed leaders, including the Presidents of Tanzania and Namibia, and so many inspiring change-makers. Congratulations to all the remarkable women recognized this year. It is especially heartwarming that this recognition

I am proud to share with you the photos from the meeting with the First Lady of Burundi, H.E. ANGELINE NDAYISHIMIYE recently and recognize her for her efforts to Build Healthcare Capacity, Empower Women, Support Girl Education and Break Infertility Stigma as the Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother” Ambassador. Please see all the pictures below: We discussed

Merck Foundation CEO, Dr. Rasha Kelej with African schoolgirls, to mark International Day of Girls and Women in Science 2026. We at Merck Foundation mark ‘International Day of Girls and Women in Science 2026’ by actively supporting and empowering women in science and technology. Although women have made remarkable progress, they are still significantly underrepresented in these fields. Our

We mark International Women’s Day 2026, Together with the First Ladies of Africa and Asia, Ambassadors of our “More Than a Mother” Campaign, and our partners, by reinforcing our 14‑year commitment to empowering women and girls through impactful programs.  Senator, Dr Rasha Kelej during her visit to Uganda. The “More Than a Mother” movement continues to drive