By Ayomide Otitoju
The philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany has concluded the 12th edition of its annual “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary” conference, held in partnership with the Government of The Gambia. The event was co-chaired by the First Lady of The Gambia and Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother, H.E. Mrs. Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow, and the CEO of Merck Foundation, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.).
First Ladies of Burundi, the Central African Republic, Liberia, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Senegal attended as Guests of Honour and delivered keynote speeches.
Dr. Kelej said it was an honour to co-chair the event with the Gambian First Lady, noting that their partnership focuses on combating infertility stigma, supporting girls’ education, and expanding healthcare and media capacity. She announced that the foundation has provided 94 scholarships to Gambian healthcare professionals across critical specialties, marking the first time the country would train specialists in several fields.
First Lady Bah-Barrow praised the partnership, saying Merck Foundation has helped transform Gambia’s healthcare landscape since 2017. She highlighted the Educating Linda initiative, which offers annual scholarships to 40 high-performing but underprivileged schoolgirls.
The conference opened with a plenary session featuring keynote addresses by African First Ladies and a ministerial panel discussing the Merck Foundation African Research Summit (MARS) strategy, which focuses on building research capacity and empowering women in STEM.
On the second day, the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI) held a committee meeting where participating First Ladies reviewed program outcomes in their countries and discussed future plans.
To date, Merck Foundation and the Gambian First Lady have awarded 94 scholarships to local doctors, including:
29 in respiratory care, acute medicine, infectious diseases, neonatal care, and other specialties.
Dr. Kelej said the foundation has provided more than 2,400 scholarships to healthcare providers from 52 countries since 2012 and will continue expanding this support.
Merck Foundation also organized three editions of its Online Health Media Training with the Office of The Gambia’s First Lady and held a special training session for Gambian journalists during the conference. The foundation further announced the call for applications for eight awards targeting media professionals, musicians, fashion designers, filmmakers, students and emerging talents.
Additionally, several children’s storybooks addressing infertility stigma, girl-child education, gender-based violence, and non-communicable diseases were launched in partnership with the First Lady.
The 12th Africa Asia Luminary conference was streamed live on Merck Foundation and Dr. Kelej’s social media platforms.
