Merck Foundation Hosts 7th Edition of First Ladies Initiative Summit with The Gambia First Lady to Strengthen Healthcare and Social Impact Programs

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India & Banjul, The Gambia

The Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, successfully conducted the 7th Edition of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI) Summit 2025, a high-level platform bringing together First Ladies from across Africa and Asia to discuss strategies for enhancing healthcare capacity and social development. The Summit was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of the Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, alongside Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation & President of MFFLI, and H.E. Mrs. Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow, First Lady of the Republic of The Gambia and Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother.”

Attendees included First Ladies from Angola, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Maldives, Mozambique, Nigeria, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, and Zimbabwe. The Summit focused on strengthening healthcare systems, expanding medical training, and addressing social and health challenges in underserved communities.

Empowering Healthcare in The Gambia

Since the start of their partnership in 2017, Merck Foundation and the Gambia First Lady have achieved significant milestones, providing 87 scholarships to Gambian doctors across critical specialties such as Fertility & Embryology, Oncology, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Sexual & Reproductive Care, Neonatal Care, Internal Medicine, Respiratory Medicine, and Acute Medicine.

“Together, we are making history in The Gambia by training specialists in essential medical fields and transforming patient care,” said Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej. H.E. Mrs. Bah-Barrow added, “This initiative supports our health security and economic development. Through programs like ‘Educating Linda,’ we are also empowering 40 high-performing but underprivileged schoolgirls annually, helping them build a brighter future for themselves and their communities.”

The scholarships are distributed across various areas:

• 27 scholarships in Oncology, ensuring access to quality cancer care.
• 23 scholarships in Fertility & Embryology, including postgraduate and master’s programs in Sexual and Reproductive Care.
• 4 scholarships in Diabetes Care and 2 for Diabetes Master Degrees, enabling doctors to establish clinics in Gambia.
• 4 scholarships in specialized fields such as Respiratory Care, Acute Medicine, Infectious Diseases, and Neonatal Care.

Expanding Social Impact Programs

Merck Foundation has trained over 3,700 media personnel from 35+ countries to highlight critical social and health issues and launched 8 annual awards recognizing achievements in media, music, fashion, and film. Additionally, the foundation has released 7 children’s storybooks and 7 awareness animation films addressing topics such as infertility stigma, girl education, diabetes, hypertension, and gender-based violence, available in multiple languages.

Furthermore, the foundation has provided 950+ scholarships for underprivileged African schoolgirls, empowered communities through the Pan-African TV program ‘Our Africa by Merck Foundation’, and maintains 15 social media channels with 8+ million followers to foster awareness and dialogue.

Looking Ahead

The Summit included high-level meetings and impact reporting sessions, where First Ladies from Africa and Asia shared country-specific progress and strategized on future initiatives. Merck Foundation continues to prioritize building healthcare capacity, empowering women and youth, and transforming patient care in underserved regions, with a focus on sustainable development and social change.

Merck Foundation’s commitment has resulted in 2,280+ scholarships for doctors from 52 countries in 44 underserved medical specialties, establishing a significant global footprint in healthcare education and social empowerment.

For more information, visit: www.merck-foundation.com

Source: Business Wire