Merck Foundation holds 7th edition of First Ladies Initiative Summit 2025 in Central African Republic

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, convened the 7th edition of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI) Summit 2025, bringing together African and Asian First Ladies to advance healthcare, education and women’s empowerment across underserved communities.

The summit was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of the Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of MFFLI, and H.E. Madam Brigitte Touadera, First Lady of the Central African Republic and Ambassador of the Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother” campaign, alongside First Ladies of Angola, Cabo Verde, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Maldives, Mozambique, Nigeria, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal and Zimbabwe.

Advancing healthcare and women’s empowerment

Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej highlighted Merck Foundation’s ongoing partnership with the Central African Republic, noting that scholarships in oncology and diabetes have been provided to young doctors since 2015, while the Educating Linda program supports 40 underprivileged schoolgirls. First Lady Brigitte Touadera emphasized collaborative projects such as Empowering Berna, which helps childless and infertile women establish small businesses and achieve financial independence.

During the summit, Merck Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to building healthcare capacity, having awarded over 2,280 scholarships to doctors from 52 countries in 44 underserved specialties. In the Central African Republic, future strategies were discussed to further expand medical training and media engagement to raise awareness on infertility stigma, gender-based violence, child marriage and non-communicable diseases.

Expanding impact through media and cultural initiatives

The summit also featured the MFFLI committee meeting, where First Ladies presented impact reports from their countries and outlined future collaborations. Merck Foundation announced calls for entries for eight awards targeting media, musicians, designers, filmmakers, students and new talents to address sensitive issues through art and storytelling.

In partnership with the Central African Republic, Merck Foundation has conducted three editions of its online health media training and launched seven French-language children’s storybooks, including More Than a Mother and Educating Linda, promoting awareness on infertility stigma, girl education, gender-based violence, diabetes and hypertension.

Since 2012, Merck Foundation has extended its reach with more than 3,700 journalists trained, 30 awareness songs produced, eight children’s storybooks published in three languages, and over 950 school scholarships granted to African girls. Its flagship TV program Our Africa continues to address health and social challenges across the continent through fashion and art with purpose.