Latest news with #FrankStangenbergHaverkamp
Zawya
01-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Merck Foundation Chairman, CEO, and 14 First Ladies Inaugurate the 7th Edition of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative - MFFLI Summit in Dubai
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates --(BUSINESS WIRE/AETOSWire)-- Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, conducted the 7th Edition of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative - MFFLI Summit 2025 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative together with First Ladies of 14 African and Asian countries, who joined as the Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers: H.E. Dr. ANA DIAS LOURENÇO, First Lady of the Republic of Angola; H.E. Dr. DÉBORA KATISA CARVALHO, First Lady of the Republic of Cabo Verde; H.E. Madam BRIGITTE TOUADERA, First Lady of the Central African Republic; H.E. Madam ZITA OLIGUI NGUEMA, First Lady of the Gabonese Republic; H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, First Lady of the Republic of The Gambia; H.E. Mrs. LORDINA DRAMANI MAHAMA, First Lady of the Republic of Ghana; H.E. Mrs. RACHEL RUTO E.G.H., First Lady of the Republic of Kenya; H.E. Mrs. KARTUMU YARTA BOAKAI, First Lady of the Republic of Liberia; H.E. Mrs. SAJIDHA MOHAMED, First Lady of the Republic of Maldives; H.E. Dr. GUETA SELEMANE CHAPO, First Lady of the Republic of Mozambique; H.E. Senator OLUREMI TINUBU, CON, First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; H.E. Mrs. MARIA DE FATIMA VILA NOVA, First Lady of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe; H.E. Madam MARIE KHONE FAYE, First Lady of the Republic of Senegal; H.E. Amai Dr. AUXILLIA MNANGAGWA, First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe. Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej emphasized, 'It is my great honor to welcome our esteemed Guests of Honor, The First Ladies of Africa and Asia, our Ambassadors of 'Merck Foundation More Than a Mother' to the 7th Edition of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative Summit. We shared valuable experiences and meaningful discussions to advance patient care and address critical social and health issues. I am proud that Merck Foundation has provided 2,270+ scholarships to young doctors from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties, many becoming the first specialists in their fields.'
Zawya
18-06-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Merck Foundation's 7th Edition of First Ladies Initiative Summit Brings Together 14 African and Asian First Ladies to discuss the impact of their programs
Link to Live Stream of Inaugural Session of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative – MFFLI Summit 2025: Merck Foundation ( the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, conducted the 7 th Edition of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative - MFFLI Summit 2025 on 19 th and 20 th June in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative along with The First Ladies of 14 African and Asian countries, who joined as the Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers. Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of 'Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative' emphasized, 'It is my great honor to welcome our esteemed Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers, The First Ladies of Africa and Asia, and Ambassadors of our 'More Than a Mother' campaign to the 7 th Edition of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative – MFFLI Summit. Through this important platform, we have collectively exchanged valuable experiences and engaged in meaningful discussions on the impact of our programs, which are aimed at transforming patient care and raising awareness of a wide range of critical social and health issues.' Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees added, 'At Merck Foundation, our goal is improving overall health and well-being by building healthcare capacity and by providing access to quality&equitable healthcare solutions in the Africa, Asia and beyond. I would like to sincerely thank our Ambassadors and partners. Together, with your unwavering support and collaboration, we will continue to work towards our vision of a world where everyone can lead a healthy and happy life.' The First Ladies of 14 countries, who are also the Ambassadors of 'Merck Foundation More Than a Mother', joined as Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers. They are: H.E. Dr. ANA DIAS LOURENÇO, The First Lady of the Republic of Angola H.E. Dr. DÉBORA KATISA CARVALHO, The First Lady of the Republic of Cabo Verde H.E. Madam BRIGITTE TOUADERA, The First Lady of the Central African Republic 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. LORDINA DRAMANI MAHAMA, The First Lady of the Republic of Ghana H.E. Mrs. RACHEL RUTO E.G.H., The First Lady of the Republic of Kenya H.E. Mrs. KARTUMU YARTA BOAKAI, The First Lady of the Republic of Liberia H.E. Mrs. SAJIDHA MOHAMED, The First Lady of the Republic of Maldives H.E. Dr. GUETA SELEMANE CHAPO, The First Lady of the Republic of Mozambique H.E. Senator OLUREMI TINUBU, CON, The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria H.E. Mrs. MARIA DE FATIMA VILA NOVA, The First Lady of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe H.E. Madam MARIE KHONE FAYE, The First Lady of the Republic of Senegal H.E. Amai Dr. AUXILLIA MNANGAGWA, The First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej stated, 'I am proud to share that Merck Foundation has provided more than 2280 scholarships for young doctors from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties. Many of our Merck Foundation Alumni are becoming the first specialists in their countries. Together with our Ambassadors and Partners, we are making history and transforming the patient care landscape across Africa and beyond. Many of them are becoming the first specialists in their countries.' 'During our Conference, we also marked together the World Infertility Awareness Month, observed in June, through our signature campaign 'Merck Foundation More Than a Mother', which aims to empower infertile and childless women by providing access to information, education, and change of mindset. I am happy to share that out of the total 2280 scholarships, more than 700 scholarships have been provided for training in Fertility, Embryology, Sexual and Reproductive Medicine, Clinical Psychiatry, Women's Health, Urology, Laparoscopic Surgical Skills, and Family Medicine, to improve access to fertility care and women's health', she further added. During the 7 th Edition of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative -MFFLI Summit, two important occasions were marked; the 8 th Anniversary of Merck Foundation and 13 years of Merck Foundation's development programs that started in 2012. On the first day, the Plenary Session of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative -MFFLI Summit took place, featuring a high-level panel discussion with the participating First Ladies of Africa and Asia. Moreover, a high-level ministerial panel discussion was held with African Ministers and top healthcare experts from across the globe. The Day 2 of the conference will have three key parallel session will be held- Two medical and scientific sessions covering Oncology and Fertility Topics, and a community awareness session, Merck Foundation Health Media Training. This session will emphasize the critical role of the media in influencing communities and driving cultural change, with regards to a wide range of social and health issues like Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girls' Education, Stopping GBV, Ending Child Marriage&FGM, Empowering Women, Diabetes and Hypertension Awareness. The conference is being conducted in a hybrid format, enabling over 6,000 audiences from more than 70 countries to benefit, meet and discuss strategies and solutions for the health and social challenges in their countries safely and effectively. Countries participating in the 7 th Edition of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative: Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central Africa Republic, Cambodia, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Guinea – Bissau, Guinea – Conakry, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, The Gambia, Togo, Tunisia, U.A.E, UK, Uganda, US, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe and more. The 7 th Edition of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative is streamed live on the social media handles of Merck Foundation and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation: @ Merck Foundation: Facebook ( X ( Instagram ( and YouTube ( @ Rasha Kelej: Facebook ( X ( Instagram ( and YouTube ( Link to the Facebook live stream of Inaugural Session of Merck Foundation First Ladies High Level Panel: Merck Foundation is transforming the Patient care landscape and making history together with their partners in Africa, Asia, and beyond, through: • 2280+ Scholarships provided by Merck Foundation for doctors from 52 Countries in more than 44 critical and underserved medical specialties. Merck Foundation is also creating a culture shift and breaking the silence about a wide range of social and health issues in Africa and underserved communities through: • 3700+ Media Persons from more than 35 countries trained to better raise awareness about different social and health issues • 8 Different Awards launched annually for best media coverage, fashion designers, films, and songs • Around 30 songs to address health and social issues, by local singers across Africa • 8 Children's Storybooks in three languages - English, French, and Portuguese • 7 Awareness Animation films in five languages - English, French, Portuguese, Spanish and Swahili to raise awareness about prevention and early detection of Diabetes&Hypertension and supporting girl education. • Pan African TV Program "Our Africa by Merck Foundation' addressing Social and Health Issues in Africa through 'Fashion and ART with Purpose' Community • 950+ Scholarships provided to high performing but under-privileged African schoolgirls to empower them to complete their studies • 15 Social Media Channels with more than 8 Million Followers. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation. Contact: Mehak Handa Community Awareness Program Manager +91 9310087613 +91 9319606669 Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard! Facebook: X: YouTube: Instagram: Threads: Flickr: Website: Download Merck Foundation App: About Merck Foundation: The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality&equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare&scientific research capacity, empowering girls in education and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website. Please visit to read more. Follow the social media of Merck Foundation: Facebook ( X ( Instagram ( YouTube ( Threads ( and Flickr ( The Merck Foundation is dedicated to improving social and health outcomes for communities in need. While it collaborates with various partners, including governments to achieve its humanitarian goals, the foundation remains strictly neutral in political matters. It does not engage in or support any political activities, elections, or regimes, focusing solely on its mission to elevate humanity and enhance well-being while maintaining a strict non-political stance in all of its endeavors.
Zawya
06-06-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Merck Foundation Officially Appoints the Maldives First Lady as the Ambassador of 'More Than a Mother' to Build Healthcare Capacity, Break Infertility Stigma and Stop Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
Merck Foundation ( the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany underscored their long-term commitment to build healthcare capacity and break infertility stigma in Maldives during their high-level meeting with H.E. Mrs. SAJIDHA MOHAMED, The First Lady of the Republic of Maldives, held at the Official Residence of the President. The discussion led by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation BOT and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation. Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej expressed, 'It was an honor to meet my dear sister H.E. Mrs. SAJIDHA MOHAMED, The First Lady of the Republic of Maldives, and officially appointing her to be the Ambassador of 'Merck Foundation More Than a Mother'. During our meeting we discussed our joint programs and underscored our commitment towards building healthcare capacity and transforming patient care landscape by providing scholarships for local doctors. We also discussed about addressing critical social and health issues in the country including breaking the infertility stigma, stopping gender-based violence, women empowerment, and diabetes and hypertension awareness.' H.E. Mrs. SAJIDHA MOHAMED, The First Lady of the Republic of Maldives and Ambassador of 'Merck Foundation More Than a Mother' expressed, 'It is a pleasure to welcome and meet Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO to our country. We discussed our joint programs. I am happy to share that we have already started providing scholarships for our local doctors in Fertility and Embryology training. These are two very critical specialties for our country. We also plan to enroll our doctors in other specialties, further underscoring our partnership with the Merck Foundation to enhance healthcare capacity in the Maldives.' Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation BOT shared, 'Our aim is to improve the overall health and wellbeing of people by building healthcare capacity across Africa, Asia and other developing countries. We are strongly committed to transforming patientcare landscape through our scholarships program. Till today, we have provided more than 2270 scholarships for young doctors from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties.' During their visit to the Maldives, the Chairman and CEO of Merck Foundation also met with Hon. Mr. Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, Minister of Health, where they discussed scaling up the scholarship programs in alignment with the country's healthcare needs. Through their Community Awareness Programs, Merck Foundation is also closely working with The First Lady of Maldives to address a wide range of critical social issues like breaking infertility stigma, stopping gender-based violence and women empowerment, and important health issues including promoting the importance of healthy lifestyle, and diabetes and hypertension awareness. Merck Foundation will be soon conducting their Health Media Training together with The First Lady of Maldives for the Maldivian journalists, to emphasize on the important role that media plays to influence society to create a cultural shift and be the voice of the voiceless. The training program will be addressed by prominent Medical and Media experts. Moreover, Merck Foundation in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives has also launched their 8 important Merck Foundation Awards for Maldivian Media, Musicians&Singers, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, and students&new potential talents in these fields. 'I invite the young talents from the Maldives to share their entries with us,' added Senator Dr. Kelej. Details of the Awards: Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards 'More Than a Mother' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: Media representatives and media students are invited to showcase their work to raise awareness about one or more of the following social issues: Breaking Infertility Stigma and Women Empowerment. Submission deadline: 30 th September 2025. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards 'More Than a Mother' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: All Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to raise awareness about one or more of the following social issues: Breaking Infertility Stigma and Women Empowerment. Submission deadline: 30 th September 2025. Merck Foundation Film Awards 'More Than a Mother' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: All Filmmakers, Students of Film Making Training Institutions, or Young Talents of Africa are invited to create and share a long or short FILMS, either drama, documentary, or docudrama to deliver strong and influential messages to address one or more of the following social issues: Breaking Infertility Stigma and Women Empowerment. Submission deadline: 30 th September 2025. Merck Foundation Song Awards 'More Than a Mother' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: All Singers and Musical Artists are invited to create and share a SONG with the aim to address one or more of the following social issues: Breaking Infertility Stigma and Women Empowerment. Submission deadline: 30 th September 2025. Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards 'Diabetes&Hypertension' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: Media representatives are invited to showcase their work through strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension. Submission deadline: 30 th October 2025. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards 'Diabetes&Hypertension' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: All Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension. Submission deadline: 30 th October 2025. Merck Foundation Film Awards 'Diabetes&Hypertension' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: All Filmmakers, Students of Film Making Training Institutions, or Young Talents of Africa are invited to create and share a long or short FILMS, either drama, documentary, or docudrama to deliver strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle raise awareness about prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension. Submission deadline: 30 th October 2025. Merck Foundation Song Awards 'Diabetes&Hypertension' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: All Singers and Musical Artists are invited to create and share a SONG with the aim to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension. Submission deadline: 30 th October 2025. Entries for the above awards can be submitted to us at: submit@ Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation. Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard! Facebook: X: YouTube: Instagram: Threads: Flickr: Website: Download Merck Foundation App: About Merck Foundation: The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality&equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare&scientific research capacity, empowering girls in education and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website. Please visit to read more. Follow the social media of Merck Foundation: Facebook ( X ( Instagram ( YouTube ( Threads ( and Flickr ( The Merck Foundation is dedicated to improving social and health outcomes for communities in need. While it collaborates with various partners, including governments to achieve its humanitarian goals, the foundation remains strictly neutral in political matters. It does not engage in or support any political activities, elections, or regimes, focusing solely on its mission to elevate humanity and enhance well-being while maintaining a strict non-political stance in all of its endeavors.
Zawya
12-05-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Merck Foundation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) meet Maldives First Lady to discuss scaling up of their joint programs to transform patient care landscape and address critical social and health issues in the country
Merck Foundation ( the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany underscored their long-term commitment to build healthcare capacity and break infertility stigma in Maldives during their high-level meeting with H.E. Mrs. SAJIDHA MOHAMED, The First Lady of the Republic of Maldives, held at the Official Residence of the President. The discussion led by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation BOT and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation. Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej expressed, 'It was an honor to meet my dear sister H.E. Mrs. SAJIDHA MOHAMED, The First Lady of the Republic of Maldives, and officially appointing her to be the Ambassador of 'Merck Foundation More Than a Mother'. During our meeting we discussed our joint programs and underscored our commitment towards building healthcare capacity and transforming patient care landscape by providing scholarships for local doctors. We also discussed about addressing critical social and health issues in the country including breaking the infertility stigma, stopping gender-based violence, women empowerment, and diabetes and hypertension awareness.' H.E. Mrs. SAJIDHA MOHAMED, The First Lady of the Republic of Maldives and Ambassador of 'Merck Foundation More Than a Mother' expressed, 'It is a pleasure to welcome and meet Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO to our country. We discussed our joint programs. I am happy to share that we have already started providing scholarships for our local doctors in Fertility and Embryology training. These are two very critical specialties for our country. We also plan to enroll our doctors in other specialties, further underscoring our partnership with the Merck Foundation to enhance healthcare capacity in the Maldives.' Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation BOT shared, 'Our aim is to improve the overall health and wellbeing of people by building healthcare capacity across Africa, Asia and other developing countries. We are strongly committed to transforming patientcare landscape through our scholarships program. Till today, we have provided more than 2270 scholarships for young doctors from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties.' During their visit to the Maldives, the Chairman and CEO of Merck Foundation also met with Hon. Mr. Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, Minister of Health, where they discussed scaling up the scholarship programs in alignment with the country's healthcare needs. Through their Community Awareness Programs, Merck Foundation is also closely working with The First Lady of Maldives to address a wide range of critical social issues like breaking infertility stigma, stopping gender-based violence and women empowerment, and important health issues including promoting the importance of healthy lifestyle, and diabetes and hypertension awareness. Merck Foundation will be soon conducting their Health Media Training together with The First Lady of Maldives for the Maldivian journalists, to emphasize on the important role that media plays to influence society to create a cultural shift and be the voice of the voiceless. The training program will be addressed by prominent Medical and Media experts. Moreover, Merck Foundation in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives has also launched their 8 important Merck Foundation Awards for Maldivian Media, Musicians&Singers, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, and students&new potential talents in these fields. 'I invite the young talents from the Maldives to share their entries with us,' added Senator Dr. Kelej. Details of the Awards: Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards 'More Than a Mother' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: Media representatives and media students are invited to showcase their work to raise awareness about one or more of the following social issues: Breaking Infertility Stigma and Women Empowerment. Submission deadline: 30 th September 2025. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards 'More Than a Mother' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: All Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to raise awareness about one or more of the following social issues: Breaking Infertility Stigma and Women Empowerment. Submission deadline: 30 th September 2025. Merck Foundation Film Awards 'More Than a Mother' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: All Filmmakers, Students of Film Making Training Institutions, or Young Talents of Africa are invited to create and share a long or short FILMS, either drama, documentary, or docudrama to deliver strong and influential messages to address one or more of the following social issues: Breaking Infertility Stigma and Women Empowerment. Submission deadline: 30 th September 2025. Merck Foundation Song Awards 'More Than a Mother' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: All Singers and Musical Artists are invited to create and share a SONG with the aim to address one or more of the following social issues: Breaking Infertility Stigma and Women Empowerment. Submission deadline: 30 th September 2025. Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards 'Diabetes&Hypertension' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: Media representatives are invited to showcase their work through strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension. Submission deadline: 30 th October 2025. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards 'Diabetes&Hypertension' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: All Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension. Submission deadline: 30 th October 2025. Merck Foundation Film Awards 'Diabetes&Hypertension' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: All Filmmakers, Students of Film Making Training Institutions, or Young Talents of Africa are invited to create and share a long or short FILMS, either drama, documentary, or docudrama to deliver strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle raise awareness about prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension. Submission deadline: 30 th October 2025. Merck Foundation Song Awards 'Diabetes&Hypertension' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: All Singers and Musical Artists are invited to create and share a SONG with the aim to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension. Submission deadline: 30 th October 2025. Entries for the above awards can be submitted to us at: submit@ For information on the awards, please visit our website: Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation. Additional images: Contact details: Mehak Handa Community Awareness Program Manager +91 9310087613 / +91 9319606669 Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard! Facebook: X: YouTube: Instagram: Threads: Flickr: Website: Download Merck Foundation App: About Merck Foundation: The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality&equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare&scientific research capacity, empowering girls in education and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website. Please visit to read more. Follow the social media of Merck Foundation: Facebook ( X ( Instagram ( YouTube ( Threads ( and Flickr ( The Merck Foundation is dedicated to improving social and health outcomes for communities in need. While it collaborates with various partners, including governments to achieve its humanitarian goals, the foundation remains strictly neutral in political matters. It does not engage in or support any political activities, elections, or regimes, focusing solely on its mission to elevate humanity and enhance well-being while maintaining a strict non-political stance in all of its endeavors.
The Print
08-05-2025
- Health
- The Print
Merck Foundation and Maldives First Lady Starting Their Partnership to Build Healthcare Capacity, Break Infertility Stigma and Stop GBV in Maldives
Male [Maldives] / Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 8: Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany underscored their long-term commitment to build healthcare capacity and break infertility stigma in Maldives during their high-level meeting with H.E. Mrs. SAJIDHA MOHAMED, The First Lady of the Republic of Maldives, held at the Official Residence of the President. The discussion led by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation BOT and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation. Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej expressed, 'It was an honor to meet my dear sister H.E. Mrs. SAJIDHA MOHAMED, The First Lady of the Republic of Maldives, and officially appointing her to be the Ambassador of 'Merck Foundation More Than a Mother'. During our meeting, we discussed our joint programs and underscored our commitment towards building healthcare capacity and transforming patient care landscape by providing scholarships for local doctors. We also discussed about addressing critical social and health issues in the country, including breaking the infertility stigma, stopping gender-based violence, women empowerment, and diabetes and hypertension awareness.' H.E. Mrs. SAJIDHA MOHAMED, The First Lady of the Republic of Maldives and Ambassador of 'Merck Foundation More Than a Mother' expressed, 'It is a pleasure to welcome and meet Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO to our country. We discussed our joint programs. I am happy to share that we have already started providing scholarships for our local doctors in Fertility and Embryology training. These are two very critical specialties for our country. We also plan to enroll our doctors in other specialties, further underscoring our partnership with the Merck Foundation to enhance healthcare capacity in the Maldives.' Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation BOT shared, 'Our aim is to improve the overall health and wellbeing of people by building healthcare capacity across Africa, Asia and other developing countries. We are strongly committed to transforming patientcare landscape through our scholarships program. Till today, we have provided more than 2370 scholarships for young doctors from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties.' During their visit to the Maldives, the Chairman and CEO of Merck Foundation also met with Hon. Mr. Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, Minister of Health, where they discussed scaling up the scholarship programs in alignment with the country's healthcare needs. Through their Community Awareness Programs, Merck Foundation is also closely working with The First Lady of Maldives to address a wide range of critical social issues like breaking infertility stigma, stopping gender-based violence and women empowerment, and important health issues, including promoting the importance of healthy lifestyle, and diabetes and hypertension awareness. Merck Foundation will be soon conducting their Health Media Training together with The First Lady of Maldives for the Maldivian journalists, to emphasize on the important role that media plays to influence society to create a cultural shift and be the voice of the voiceless. The training program will be addressed by prominent Medical and Media experts. Moreover, Merck Foundation in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives has also launched their 8 important Merck Foundation Awards for Maldivian Media, Musicians & Singers, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, and students & new potential talents in these fields. 'I invite the young talents from the Maldives to share their entries with us,' added Senator Dr. Kelej. Details of the Awards: 1. Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards 'More Than a Mother' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: Media representatives and media students are invited to showcase their work to raise awareness about one or more of the following social issues: Breaking Infertility Stigma and Women Empowerment. Submission deadline: 30th September 2025. 2. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards 'More Than a Mother' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: All Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to raise awareness about one or more of the following social issues: Breaking Infertility Stigma and Women Empowerment. Submission deadline: 30th September 2025. 3. Merck Foundation Film Awards 'More Than a Mother' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: All Filmmakers, Students of Film Making Training Institutions, or Young Talents of Africa are invited to create and share a long or short FILMS, either drama, documentary, or docudrama to deliver strong and influential messages to address one or more of the following social issues: Breaking Infertility Stigma and Women Empowerment. Submission deadline: 30th September 2025. 4. Merck Foundation Song Awards 'More Than a Mother' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: All Singers and Musical Artists are invited to create and share a SONG with the aim to address one or more of the following social issues: Breaking Infertility Stigma and Women Empowerment. Submission deadline: 30th September 2025. 5. Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards 'Diabetes & Hypertension' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: Media representatives are invited to showcase their work through strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension. Submission deadline: 30th October 2025. 6. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards 'Diabetes & Hypertension' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: All Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension. Submission deadline: 30th October 2025. 7. Merck Foundation Film Awards 'Diabetes & Hypertension' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: All Filmmakers, Students of Film Making Training Institutions, or Young Talents of Africa are invited to create and share a long or short FILMS, either drama, documentary, or docudrama to deliver strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle raise awareness about prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension. Submission deadline: 30th October 2025. 8. Merck Foundation Song Awards 'Diabetes & Hypertension' 2025, in partnership with The First Lady of Maldives: All Singers and Musical Artists are invited to create and share a SONG with the aim to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension. Submission deadline: 30th October 2025. Entries for the above awards can be submitted to us at: submit@ For information on the awards, please visit our website: Click on the link below to Download Merck Foundation App Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard! Facebook: Merck Foundation X: @MerckFoundation YouTube: MerckFoundation Instagram: Merck Foundation Threads: Merck Foundation Flickr: Merck Foundation Website: (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
