Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO with The President of Tanzania, together with First Ladies of Burundi, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of The Congo, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Maldives, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, Zimbabwe and Zanzibar.
I am honored to welcome our host, H.E. Dr. SAMIA SULUHU HASSAN, the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, to inaugurate our annual conference, the 11th Edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, alongside Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and myself.
This significant occasion marked not only the launch of the 11th Edition of our annual conference but also celebrated the 7th anniversary of the Merck Foundation and our 12-year journey of impactful development programs since 2012.
We are privileged to conduct this year’s conference under the patronage of the President of Tanzania and in partnership with the Government of Tanzania.
We also welcomed the esteemed First Ladies from 15 countries as our Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers. Their leadership and unwavering commitment to improving healthcare and empowering women have been truly inspiring. Out of the 15 First Ladies, there were five First Ladies who joined our prestigious platform for the first time, which added a great value.
Therefore, I’d like to welcome in alphabetical order:
- H.E. Madam ANGELINE NDAYISHIMIYE, The First Lady of the Republic of Burundi
- H.E. Dr. DÉBORA KATISA CARVALHO, The First Lady of the Republic of Cabo Verde
- H.E. Madam BRIGITTE TOUADERA, The First Lady of Central African Republic
- H.E. Madam DENISE NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI, The First Lady of the Democratic Republic of The Congo
- 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. REBECCA AKUFO-ADDO, The First Lady of the Republic of Ghana
- H.E. Mrs. RACHEL RUTO, The First Lady of Republic of Kenya
- H.E. Mrs. KARTUMU YARTA BOAKAI, The First Lady of the Republic of Liberia
- H.E. Mrs. MONICA CHAKWERA, The First Lady of the Republic of Malawi
- H.E. Mrs. SAJIDHA MOHAMED, The First Lady of the Republic of Maldives
- H.E. Mrs. ISAURA FERRÃO NYUSI, The First Lady of the Republic of Mozambique
- H.E. Mrs. MARIA DE FATIMA VILA NOVA, The First Lady of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe
- H.E Mrs. MARIAM MWINYI, The First Lady of Zanzibar
- H.E. Amai Dr. AUXILLIA MNANGAGWA, The First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe
Together, we shared valuable insights and engaged in meaningful discussions on how we can continue to advance healthcare, tackle critical social issues, and empower women. We discussed the importance of raising awareness on key health challenges, such as building healthcare capacity, breaking infertility stigma, supporting girls’ education, and addressing several critical social and health issues.
During the conference, I was particularly proud to highlight that Merck Foundation has provided over 2,080 scholarships to young doctors from 52 countries in 42 critical and underserved specialties. These specialties include oncology, cardiovascular preventive, diabetes, respiratory care, sexual and reproductive care, fertility care, emergency medicine, pediatric, emergency care, endocrinology, acute care, and many more. Many of these young doctors are now the first specialists in their countries, and through their dedication, they are helping to transform healthcare landscape in their communities and their countries nationwide.
Over the past 12 years, we have been able to positively affect the lives of people and transform public healthcare systems by focusing on building healthcare capacity, empowering women, and addressing pressing social and health issues.
On the first day of the conference, the Plenary Session of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2024 took place, featuring a high-level panel discussion with the participating First Ladies of Africa and Asia. Moreover, two high-level ministerial panel discussion were held with African Ministers and top healthcare experts from across the globe.
We also organized a specialized Health Media Training for African journalists to equip them with the knowledge and tools needed to break the silence around the social issues and be the voice of the voiceless. The media plays a crucial role in changing societal perceptions, and through this training, we aim to further support them in creating a cultural shift, particularly around topics such as breaking infertility stigma, supporting girls’ education, ending child marriage, strong GBV and FGM, and also raising awareness on health topics like diabetes, hypertension and importance of leading a healthy lifestyle.
I am proud to share that so far we have trained more than 3,500 media persons from more than 35 countries.
The Day 2 of the conference also had 4 key parallel medical and scientific sessions, covering topics such as oncology, diabetes and hypertension, fertility and reproductive care, and medical capacity building in other specialties like respiratory care, acute care, emergency paediatric and neonatal care, and more.
We also continued to break barriers through our awareness campaign, including 8 different awards of best media coverage, best film, song and fashion design , +35 songs, 8 children’s storybooks, and 7 awareness animation films in different languages, all aimed at raising awareness about critical health and social challenges. These initiatives, along with the Pan African TV Program, Our Africa by Merck Foundation, are key tools in our mission to reach millions and create lasting impact.
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the president of Tanzania and the Government of Tanzania for their unwavering support, which has been instrumental in making this conference a resounding success. Together with our partners, ambassadors, and distinguished leaders, we are making history and paving the way for a healthier and happier future for communities in Africa, Asia, and beyond.
I look forward to working closely with our partners to making it a great success together.
Link to Live Stream of Inaugural Session of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2024: Here
Kind regards,
Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej
CEO of Merck Foundation
and Chairperson of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary