By Stephen V. Lansana
Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, in partnership with 12 First Ladies from Africa and Asia, has officially launched the 13th edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2026 through a virtual conference aimed at strengthening healthcare systems and addressing pressing social challenges across developing countries.
The high-level conference which brought together First Ladies, healthcare experts, policymakers, the Ministers, government officials, academia, and media representatives, among others from across Africa and Asia was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of the Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.), Chief Executive Officer of Merck Foundation, President of “More Than a Mother” , and Chairperson of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary. The two-day event was held virtually on June 18 and 19, 2026.
The First Ladies who participated as Guests of Honour and keynote speakers were from Angola, Botswana, Cabo Verde, the Central African Republic, Gabon, The Gambia, Kenya, Liberia, Maldives, Mozambique, Nigeria, and São Tomé and Príncipe.
The campaign seeks to contribute to social and economic development across Africa, Asia, and other underserved communities by improving access to quality and equitable healthcare services. It also aims to strengthen the capacities of healthcare professionals and media practitioners while delivering scientific programmes focused on disease prevention, early detection, and nutrition awareness.
Another key objective is to engage healthcare providers, academics, and Merck Foundation alumni in addressing educational gaps and sharing experiences that improve patient care. The initiative also works to break the stigma surrounding infertility by promoting awareness, expanding access to safe and effective fertility care, and empowering women affected by infertility across Africa and Asia.
The Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp commended the First Ladies and development partners for their continued support of the Foundation’s initiatives.
“We remain committed to improving health and well-being by building healthcare capacity and ensuring access to quality and equitable healthcare across Africa, Asia, and beyond. Together, we will continue advancing our vision of a world where everyone can lead a healthy and happy life,” he stated.
In her welcoming address, the CEO of Merck Foundation, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.) said, “It is a great privilege to welcome our distinguished First Ladies, who serve as ambassadors of our ‘More Than a Mother’ campaign. Together, we exchanged valuable experiences and discussed the impact of our programmes aimed at transforming patient care and raising awareness on critical social and health issues.”
She said that “together, we 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.”
Dr. Rasha Kelej shared that “Merck Foundation has provided more than 2,600 scholarships for healthcare providers from 52 countries [including Sierra Leone] in 44 critical and underserved specialties. Many of our Merck Foundation alumni have become the first specialists in their countries. Together with our Ambassadors and partners, we are making history and transforming the patient care landscape across Africa, Asia, and beyond.”
She further added, “During our Conference, we also marked World Infertility Awareness Month, observed annually in June, through our historic “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” campaign, dedicated to empowering infertile and childless women by providing access to information, health, education, and change of mindset.
She added that the 2,600+ scholarships provided by Merck Foundation, more than 800 have been for healthcare providers in the fields of Fertility, Embryology, Sexual and Reproductive Medicine, Clinical Psychiatry, Women’s Health, Urology, Laparoscopic Surgical Skills, and Family Medicine. These scholarships are helping strengthen fertility care services and improving access to women’s health across 42 countries.
This year’s Luminary conference also celebrated two important milestones: the 9th anniversary of the Merck Foundation and 14 years of Merck Foundation development programmes, which began in 2012.
The opening day featured a high-level panel discussion involving the participating First Ladies and attracted more than 800 attendees, including healthcare providers, policymakers, and media practitioners from 57 English, French, and Portuguese-speaking countries. The event was also streamed live across social media platforms, reaching over 220,000 viewers worldwide.
The second day of the conference focuses on scientific sessions covering oncology and fertility-related healthcare topics.