Messages

Merck Foundation CEO, Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej with H.E. MR. DHARAMBEER GOKHOOL, The President of Mauritius. I am proud to share that we conducted the Fourth Edition of our “Merck Foundation Health Media Training” in partnership with the Ministry of Gender Equality & Family Welfare, Mauritius, co-chaired by myself and with Hon’ble Ms. Marie Arianne Navarre-Marie, Minister of Gender […]

Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation & President of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative and H.E. Dr. ANA DIAS LOURENÇO, The First Lady of the Republic of Angola & Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother” It was a pleasure welcoming and meeting my dear sister, H.E. Dr. ANA DIAS LOURENÇO, First Lady of

Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation & President of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative and H.E. Senator OLUREMI TINUBU, CON, The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother,” at the th Edition of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative – MFFLI Summit 2025 It was an immense honor to welcome and

Merck Foundation Chairman, CEO, and 14 First Ladies inaugurate the 7th Edition of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative – MFFLI Summit in Dubai 2025 I am happy to share about the the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative Committee (MFFLI) that was conducted on the Day 2 of the 7th Edition of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative – MFFLI Summit,

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

I am deeply honoured to be included in the ‘100 Most Impactful Voices 2026’ list. I sincerely thank ABCD Africa for acknowledging my work over the past 14 years to build healthcare capacity, transform the patient care landscape, break infertility stigma, empower women, and support girl education in Africa and beyond. This recognition is truly very special to me,

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

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

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

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