• Merck Foundation in partnership with the First Lady of Chad commits to building healthcare capacity in the country with special focus on Cancer, Diabetes, and Infertility.

• Merck Foundation underscores their long-term commitment to the social and economic development of Chad.

• Merck Foundation discusses their commitment to build healthcare capacity with the President of Chad.

• Merck Foundation launches their ‘Merck More Than a Mother’ to empower infertile women in Chad.

Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com), the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany (www.Merck.com) launches today their programs in Chad in partnership with the First Lady and the Ministry of Health of Chad. Merck Foundation announced the start of their flagship initiative ‘Merck Cancer Access Program’ with the aim to increase the limited number of Oncologists and improve access to equitable and quality cancer care in the country.

During the event, Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp Chairman of the Executive Board of E.Merck KG and the Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees emphasized,” We are proud to launch Merck Foundation in Chad in partnership with H.E., the First Lady of Chad, Mrs. HINDA DEBY ITNO and the Ministry of Health. Through Merck Foundation, we will work closely together to improve access to equitable healthcare solutions in the country.”

During the high-level meeting between the president of Chad, His Excellency IDRISS DEBI ITNO, Guest of Honor Prof. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of Executive Board of E-Merck KG and Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees and Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO Merck Foundation, Merck Foundation confirmed their commitment to long-term partnership with the government of Chad to build healthcare Capacity and improve access to innovative and equitable healthcare solutions across the country.

Dr Rasha Kelej CEO of Merck Foundation further emphasized, “We strongly believe that building healthcare capacity is the right strategy to improve access to quality and equitable healthcare solutions in Africa, therefore together, we will address the significant need for training in the fields of Diabetes, Cancer and fertility care, our areas of focus.”

”We are delighted to commit to provide four candidates with one-year oncology fellowship in India to contribute to the overcoming challenges of cancer care access in the country.” Dr. Rasha Kelej added.

Merck Foundation announced the appointment of H.E. Madam HINDA DEBY ITNO, the First Lady of Chad, as the ambassador of ‘Merck More Than a Mother’ campaign, to work closely with Merck Foundation in defining interventions to break the stigma around childless women across the country.

Her Excellency, the First Lady of Chad, Madam HINDA DEBY ITNO underscored the importance of the initiative saying “We are glad that Merck Foundation is getting launched in Chad, and they are launching their flagship programs to help us in building Cancer and Fertility care capacity, so that our people can have access to quality and equitable cancer and fertility care in our beloved country. I am also glad to be the ambassador of ‘Merck More Than a Mother’.  I’ll work closely with Merck Foundation to break the stigma around infertility at all levels by raising awareness, training the skills of local experts and by supporting childless women in starting their small businesses.”

During the launch Hon. Minister of Health of Chad, Mr.  Aziz Mahamat Saleh explained,” We all know that cancer care is under severe pressure in Africa, and the situation is no different in Chad, we have only two oncologists for thirteen million of our population. These numbers are not enough to give access to quality and equitable cancer care. We are thankful to Merck Foundation for launching their programs in Chad, and we believe that these initiatives will improve the quality of cancer and fertility care in our country.”

“Till today Chad does not have Fertility specialist or specialized clinic to manage the condition. Merck will make history in Chad by will provide training opportunity to the first fertility specialists in the country” Rasha Kelej added.

Moreover, Merck Foundation is committed to contributing toward advancing Diabetes Care in Chad, by providing online Diabetes Management Diploma in the French language, for medical postgraduates in Chad and other Francophone African countries, so that they can learn more about diagnosis and treatment of diabetes. The course is accredited by 'Royal college for general practitioners' in the UK.

So far, candidates from Uganda, Zambia, Ethiopia, Namibia, Tanzania, Ghana, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Botswana, Liberia, Rwanda, Kenya, Chad, Niger, Guinea, Gambia, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Nepal have benefitted from Merck Foundation's training programs in Fertility and Oncology fellowship. Merck Foundation aims to expand to more African and Asian countries soon.