{"id":4842,"date":"2021-04-28T13:22:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-28T09:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/?p=4842"},"modified":"2021-04-30T13:25:05","modified_gmt":"2021-04-30T09:25:05","slug":"africa-first-ladies-discuss-solutions-to-infertility-stigma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/?p=4842","title":{"rendered":"Africa First Ladies Discuss Solutions To Infertility Stigma"},"content":{"rendered":"
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African First Ladies at the 8th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary conference<\/figcaption><\/figure>

African First Ladies have committed to using their motherhood gifts, creative arts and community mobilization to put an end to Infertility Stigma across the continent.<\/p>

The commitment was made by 13 African First Ladies who attended the 8th Edition of the \u201cMerck Foundation Africa -Asia Luminary\u201d 2021 virtual conference opened by Zambia\u2019s President Edgar Lungu.<\/p>

The 32,000 participants virtual conference was attended by First Ladies from Zambia, Angola, Liberia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central Africa Republic, DR Congo, Ghana, Guinea Mozambique, and Namibia- who are \u2018Merck More Than a Mother\u2019 Ambassadors.<\/p>

 \u2018Merck More Than a Mother\u2019 Ambassadors discussed strategies to build healthcare capacity, respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, provide the necessary training to establish a strong platform of experts in many important and critical specialties in their countries in collaboration with their offices and Ministries of Health.<\/ins><\/p>

Amidst this congregation First Lady of the Republic of Namibia, Monica Geingos used her experience of cultural stigma in which she said that the community rebuked her over not having a child with her husband.<\/p>

\u201cI was forced to make sure I have a child with my husband in order to endorse my marriage. Women are in most cases blamed for infertility but it is not only for women\u2019s issues,\u201d Geingos said.<\/p>

Geingos said that though she was able to bear children with her husband-President Hage Geingob, she called on a new approach on infertility social and cultural attitudes towards women which she said are increasing stigma among women.<\/p>

Geingos said Africa needs to create support groups and new ways of discussing infertility on the continent.<\/p>

\u201cAfrica lacks data on infertility yet many treat it through traditional doctors. So we need to think of conversation and non conventional ways of addressing issues of infertility, but one thing we can\u2019t exclude is the role of traditional medicine in treating infertility\u201d Geingos said.<\/p>

The United Nations reported that nearly one in five women worldwide has experienced violence in the past year.<\/p>

Geingos said that this means infertile and childless women are suffering even more and more physical and psychological violence and are now trapped at home with their abusers, struggling to access services, they are lonely suffering in silence.<\/p>

\u201cThrough Merck Foundation and my office, we will continue our commitment to empowering infertile women through access to education, information, health, change of mindset, and economic support, even during this unsettling time of Coronavirus lockdown,\u201d Geingos said.<\/p>

Merck Foundation has been working in various countries to build healthcare capacity in many critical and underserved medical fields such as; Diabetes, cardiovascular, endocrinology, Cancer, Research, Fertility Care, Women Health, Sexual & Reproductive care, Respiratory Medicines, and Acute Medicines.<\/p>

Other First Ladies, who are also Merck Ambassadors in the Merck More Than a Mother campaign, committed to promoting mass education on infertility as a way of improving women\u2019s welfare especially during the pandemic.<\/p>

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Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO Merck Foundation<\/figcaption><\/figure>

First Lady of Mozambique, Isaura Ferr\u00e3o Nyusi announced plans to launch the 1st ever post COVID project to train and award all Africa media in reporting sensitive issues such infertility issues, best media practices to break stigma and sensitize communities.<\/p>

\u201cI am looking forward to launching new editions of these awards. In addition to Merck More Than a Mother Fashion, Film, Song Awards so we can encourage our young talents and youth to create and innovate messages in their art and daily work to create a culture shift of breaking the infertility stigma and supporting girl education.\u201d Mrs Nyusi said.<\/p>

 Merck Foundation CEO Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej underscored their long-term commitment to build healthcare capacity in more African countries and more partners, to realize the vision and lead Africa into a healthy continent.<\/p>

Kelej said more than 1100 doctor from 42 countries have benefited from Merck Foundation scholarship in field of diabetes, cardiovascular, endocrinology, Cancer, Research, Fertility Care, Women Health, Sexual & Reproductive care, Respiratory, and more will join in the next few years to benefit from more scholarships in more specialties.<\/p>

Contact the Author:\u00a0@DanielSabiiti<\/a><\/p>

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Africa First Ladies Discuss Solutions to Infertility Stigma\u00a0<\/a><\/blockquote>