I am proud to share thatMerck Foundation successfully conducted the 12th Edition of our annual conference, “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary”, in partnership with the Government of The Gambia in Banjul, The Gambia. The conference was inaugurated by H.E. Mr. MUHAMMAD B. S. JALLOW, Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia, together with Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and co-chaired by H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of Gambia and Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother and me. The First Ladies of Burundi, Central Africa, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and São Tomé and Príncipe alsojoined as the Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers.
Watch the video of MFFLI Committee Meeting held during the 12 Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2025:
On Day 2 of the Summit, the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative Committee (MFFLI) was conducted. During the meeting, we evaluated the impact of our ongoing programs and discussed the 2026 strategy to further strengthen healthcare and media capacity and address critical social and health issues including Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Ending Child Marriage and FGM, Stopping GBV, Empowering Women, and raising awareness about health concerns such as Diabetes and Hypertension.
Watch the video of Merck Foundation CEO during the MFFLI Committee Meeting in The Gambia:
We also launched our new children’s storybook and its animation film adaptation titled “Ray of Hope” to raise awareness about cancer, with a special focus on early detection, prevention and access to quality cancer care specially in childhood cancer. The storybook and animation film were released by Merck Foundation Chairman and me, together with First Ladies of Burundi, Central Africa, The Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria, São Tomé & Príncipe and Senegal.
The conference was conducted in a hybrid format and was attended by close to 1,600 participants including healthcare providers, policymakers and media from 52 English, French, and Portuguese speaking countries, who benefited from three parallel scientific and social sessions to advance healthcare capacity and awareness in 44 critical and underserved medical specialties. Additionally, the conference had 2.25 million viewers online from 53 countries, further amplifying its impact and extending access to knowledge and dialogue across continents.
The 12th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2025 was streamed live across our social media platforms.
Kind Regards,
Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.)
CEO of Merck Foundation
