Merck Foundation Chairman, CEO, and 14 First Ladies inaugurate the 7th Edition of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative – MFFLI Summit in Dubai.
The 7th Edition of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative – MFFLI Summit 2025 was conducted on 19th and 20th June in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The conference was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and myself, Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative, along with First Ladies of 14 African and Asian countries, who joined as our Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers:
- H.E. Dr. ANA DIAS LOURENÇO, The First Lady of the Republic of Angola
- H.E. Dr. DÉBORA KATISA CARVALHO, The First Lady of the Republic of Cabo Verde
- H.E. Madam BRIGITTE TOUADERA, The First Lady of the Central African Republic
- H.E. Madam ZITA OLIGUI NGUEMA, The First Lady of the Gabonese Republic
- H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of the Republic of The Gambia
- H.E. Mrs. LORDINA DRAMANI MAHAMA, The First Lady of the Republic of Ghana
- H.E. Mrs. RACHEL RUTO E.G.H., The First Lady of the Republic of Kenya
- H.E. Mrs. KARTUMU YARTA BOAKAI, The First Lady of the Republic of Liberia
- H.E. Mrs. SAJIDHA MOHAMED, The First Lady of the Republic of Maldives
- H.E. Dr. GUETA SELEMANE CHAPO, The First Lady of the Republic of Mozambique
- H.E. Senator OLUREMI TINUBU, CON, The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
- H.E. Mrs. MARIA DE FATIMA VILA NOVA, The First Lady of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe
- H.E. Madam MARIE KHONE FAYE, The First Lady of the Republic of Senegal
- H.E. Amai Dr. AUXILLIA MNANGAGWA, The First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe
I am proud to conduct Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative – MFFLI Summit 2025, together with our Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers, the First Ladies of 14 African and Asian Countries, who are also the Ambassadors of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother”, to discuss our 2025 strategy to build healthcare capacity and raise awareness on critical social and health issues like Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Stopping GBV, Ending Child Marriage & FGM, Empowering Women, and Diabetes and Hypertension Awareness.
I am also honored to share that Merck Foundation has provided more than 2280 scholarships for young doctors from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties. Many of our Merck Foundation Alumni are becoming the first specialists in their countries. Together with our Ambassadors and Partners, we are making history and transforming the patient care landscape across Africa and beyond.
During the Summit, we celebrated two important milestones: the 8th Anniversary of Merck Foundation and 13 years of Merck Foundation’s development programs that started in 2012.
The first day featured a high-level panel discussion with the participating First Ladies of Africa and Asia, followed by a ministerial panel discussion with African Ministers and top healthcare experts. The second day included three parallel sessions covering Oncology, Fertility topics, and Merck Foundation Health Media Training, emphasizing the critical role of media in addressing social and health issues.
The hybrid format enabled over 6,000 participants from more than 70 countries to join the discussions safely and effectively.
Together with Africa’s and Asia’s First Ladies, we are transforming healthcare through: 2,280+ scholarships for doctors across 52 countries in 44 specialties; training 3,700+ media professionals from more than 35 nations; awarding 950+ scholarships; and creating impactful media content including 30 songs, 8 storybooks, and 7 awareness animation films in multiple languages – collectively building healthier, stronger communities across our continents.
Together, we are shaping a healthier, stronger future for generations to come.
Link to Live Stream of Inaugural Session of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative – MFFLI Summit 2025:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19CGzbGbZM/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Kind Regards
Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej
CEO of Merck Foundation
President of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI)
