Merck Foundation Africa has called for real economic transformation that will address basic needs for all in Africa.
Professor Dr Frank Stangenerg-Haverkamp, the Chairman of the Executive Board of E. Merck KG and Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, said that was crucial and could never be achieved except with capacity building and the empowerment of women and youth.
He made the remarks at the opening of the 10th Edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia 2023 Luminary and the inauguration of the sixth anniversary of Merck Foundation after its establishment in 2017.
The luminary in partnership with Tata Memorial Hospital and Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth, seeks to contribute to the social and economic development of Africa and Asia and improve access to quality and equitable healthcare solutions.
“The size and complexity of the task are so large that no organisation can manage on its own so, integration of effort is necessary to realise our vision for a world where everyone can lead a healthy and fulfilling life,” he stated.
Prof Dr Stangenerg-Haverkamp said it was time to take action now and the private sector had an important role in partnering with governments, academia, and communities.
He said there was the need to consolidate many of the centrally driven corporate responsibilities activities under one roof, the Merck Foundation, to considerably expand the scope, reach, and effectiveness of their projects.
“We believe strongly that we can make a significant contribution towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With Merck Foundation, our long-term commitment to the communities in which we operate will remain strong and consistent throughout generations.
Senator Dr Rasha Kelej, the Chief Executive Officer of Merck Foundation, speaking at the event commended the 11 First Ladies present at this year’s luminary for their continuous support of the fight against infertility and stigma in their respective countries.
She pledged the Foundation’s continued commitment towards transforming the patient care landscape, improving access to quality and equitable healthcare solutions, and raising awareness about a wide range of critical social and health issues.
That would break the infertility stigma, support girl education, and stop female genital mutilation (FGM), gender-based violence, and child marriage in developing countries and underserved communities, Dr Kelej stated.
“We will continue to focus on building healthcare and scientific research and media capacity, empower girls, women, and youth in education with a special focus on Science Technology Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM),” she added.
She said over the past eight years, more than 22 African first ladies had become ambassadors of the “Merck Foundation More than a Mother” campaign, trained over 230 fertility specialists, and more than 295 embryologists from 39 countries.
Dr Kelej said, “We have trained more than 3000 media representatives from 35 countries and launched eight inspiring storybooks for children in four languages.”
She said millions of women had benefitted from the “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” community awareness campaign which sought to address infertility stigma among women.
The CEO of Merck Foundation said moving forward the Foundation would train oncologists to help address cancer-related diseases.
The First Ladies, speaking on the progress made in their respective countries to empower girls to fight fertility stigma, expressed gratitude to Merck Foundation and Dr Rasha Kelej for the diverse support given them.
They pledged their support to the “Merck Foundation More than a Mother” campaign to improve fertility issues in their countries.
GNA