The 11th Edition of Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com) Africa Asia Luminary will be officially inaugurated by The President of the United Republic of Tanzania, H.E. Dr. SAMIA SULUHU HASSAN, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp and Merck Foundation CEO, Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej; The First Ladies of Africa to be the Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers at the 11th Edition of Merck Foundation’s Annual Conference; More than 6,000 healthcare providers, policymakers and media from over 70 countries will benefit from this Luminary.

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, will conduct the 11^th Edition of their annual conference, “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary”, under the patronage of The President of Tanzania, and in partnership with the Government of Tanzania on 29^th and 30^th  October 2024, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The conference will be officially inaugurated by H.E. Dr. SAMIA SULUHU HASSAN, The President of the United Republic of Tanzania together with Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees. It will be chaired by Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and will have Africa’s First Ladies from more than 15 Countries as the Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers;

• H.E. Madam ANGELINE NDAYISHIMIYE, The First Lady of the Republic of Burundi
• H.E. Dr. DÉBORA KATISA CARVALHO, The First Lady of the Republic of Cabo Verde
• H.E. Madam BRIGITTE TOUADERA, The First Lady of Central African Republic
• H.E. Madam DENISE NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI, The First Lady of the Democratic Republic of The Congo
• H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of the Republic of The Gambia
• H.E. Mrs. REBECCA AKUFO-ADDO, The First Lady of the Republic of Ghana
• H.E. Mrs. KARTUMU YARTA BOAKAI, The First Lady of the Republic of Liberia
• H.E. Mrs. MONICA CHAKWERA, The First Lady of the Republic of Malawi
• H.E. Mrs. ISAURA FERRÃO NYUSI, The First Lady of the Republic of Mozambique
• H.E. Mrs. MARIA DE FATIMA VILA NOVA, The First Lady of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe
• H.E. Mrs. MUTINTA HICHILEMA, The First Lady of the Republic of Zambia
• H.E. Amai Dr. AUXILLIA MNANGAGWA, The First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe
• H.E. Mrs. MARIAM H. MWINYI, The First Lady of the Zanzibar

Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and Chairperson of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary shared, “We are excited to announce the 11^th Edition of our annual conference in partnership with the Government of Tanzania to be inaugurated by H.E. Dr. SAMIA SULUHU HASSAN, The President of the United Republic of Tanzania. I am also very happy to welcome our Guests of Honors and Keynote Speakers, the First Ladies of Africa and Ambassadors of “More Than a Mother” Campaign, for the Luminary. I am looking forward to share the experiences and discuss the impact of our programs to transform patient care and raise awareness on a wide range of sensitive and critical social and health issues.”

Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees expressed “At Merck Foundation, our mission is to improve overall health and well-being by strengthening healthcare capacity and providing access to quality and equitable healthcare solutions across Africa, Asia, and beyond. Our annual conference stands as a symbol of our unwavering commitment to this cause.”

Hon. Dr. Dorothy Gwajima (M.P.) Minister of Community Development, Gender Women and Special Groups, Tanzania, emphasized, “We are delighted to host this prestigious conference in Tanzania, that brings together Africa’s First Ladies, Ministers, Policymakers, Academia, Healthcare providers and Media from over 70 countries.”

The conference will be held in a hybrid format, featuring both physical and online participation of more than 6,000 healthcare providers, policymakers, academia, researchers, and health media representatives from over 70 countries across Africa, Asia, and beyond. Of these, 500 participants will attend in person.

During the 11^th Edition of the conference, Merck Foundation will also celebrate two significant milestones: the 7th Anniversary of Merck Foundation and 12 years of their impactful development programs, that were started in 2012.

“Since 2012, we have made a significant progress, I am happy to share that we have provided more than 2000 scholarships to young doctors from 52 countries in 42 critical  and underserved specialties such as Oncology & Cancer care, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Cardiovascular, Fertility Care, Embryology, Sexual & Reproductive Medicine, Internal Medicine, Respiratory Medicine, Acute Medicine, Critical Care, Pediatric Emergency, Gastroenterology, Rheumatology, Clinical Psychiatry, Urology, Ophthalmology, General Surgery, Trauma & Orthopedic, Dermatology, Neonatal Care, Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, Advanced Surgical Practice, Neuroimaging for Research and more. Many of them are becoming the first specialists in their countries, and we are proud of this achievement”, added Senator, Dr. Kelej.

On the first day of the conference, the Plenary Session of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2024 will take place, featuring a high-level panel discussion with African First Ladies.

On Day 2 of the conference, five key parallel medical and scientific sessions will be held, covering topics such as oncology, diabetes and hypertension, fertility and reproductive care, and medical capacity building in other specialties like respiratory care, acute care, emergency pediatric and neonatal care, and more. Additionally, a community awareness session, Merck Foundation Health Media Training, will be conducted for African journalists. 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.

Countries participating in the 11^th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary will include:

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, 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 11^th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary will be streamed live on the social media channels of Merck Foundation and Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej.

Summarizing Merck Foundation’s initiatives and impact:

Merck Foundation is transforming the Patient care landscape and making history together with their partners in Africa, Asia, and beyond, through:

• 2000+ Scholarships provided by Merck Foundation for doctors from 52 Countries in 42 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:

• 3200+ 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

• 1000+ Girls from 15 African countries supported through scholarships or school items, annually.

• 12 Social Media Channels with more than 6 Million Followers.