“The Merck Foundation Health Media Training was held via zoom on the sidelines of the 8th Edition of MERCK FOUNDATION AFRICA ASIA LUMINARY 2021 during the three-day conference from 27th to 29th of April. The Merck Foundation Health Media Training was conducted by Merck Foundation health and media experts as an important milestone to facilitate a cultural shift among communities towards the stigmatization of infertile women. It was attended by more than 1500 African and Latin American Journalists from more than 35 countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini, South Africa, Malawi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Tunisia, Benin, Madagascar, Burundi, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, DRC, Angola, Senegal, Mozambique, Egypt, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Lesotho. Thank you everyone for making it a great success.
I strongly believe in the important role that media plays to influence our society to create a cultural shift with the aim to break the stigma around Infertility, raising awareness about Infertility Prevention, and Empowering Girls and Women through Education. The media has helped save a lot of women being stigmatized but there’s more to be done; that is why we want to reach out to more media representatives in more countries to encourage them to continue working to save women as well as men.
During the session, we also announced two awards for the media fraternity, Merck Foundation Africa Media Recognition Awards “More Than a Mother” 2021 and Merck Foundation “Mask Up With Care” Media Recognition Awards 2021; two awards for fashion fraternity, Merck Foundation Fashion Awards “More Than a Mother” 2021 and Merck Foundation “Make Your Own Mask” Fashion Awards 2021.
Furthermore, Merck Foundation in partnership with African First Ladies announced two other important awards:
1) Merck Foundation Film Awards “More Than a Mother” 2021 and
2) Merck Foundation Song Awards “More Than a Mother” 2021.
All these awards are in partnership with my dear sisters, the First Ladies of Africa. 20 Africa First Ladies will lead these awards in their countries as Ambassadors of Merck Foundation More than a Mother.
Kind regards,
Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej
CEO Merck Foundation
President of ‘Merck More than a Mother‘
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