Mumbai, Maharashtra, India & Banjul, The Gambia – Business Wire India • First Ladies of Burundi, Central Africa, Liberia, São Tomé & Príncipe and Senegal attend 12th Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, Co-chaired by The Gambia First Lady and Merck Foundation CEO. • The 12th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary was officially inaugurated by the Vice President of The Republic of The Gambia, Mr. MUHAMMAD B. S. JALLOW and Merck Foundation Chairman, Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp. • The conference was co-chaired by The First Lady of the Republic of The Gambia, H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW and Merck Foundation CEO, Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej and attended by 7 African First Ladies as Guests of Honor. • More than 6,000 healthcare providers, policymakers and media from over 70 English, French, Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries attended the Luminary through hybrid model to benefit from three parallel scientific and social sessions to advance healthcare capacity and awareness in 44 critical and underserved medical specialties. • Merck Foundation celebrated the 13-yearjourney of their development programs, during 2025 Luminary. • Link to Live Stream of Inaugural Session of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2025 here: https://www.facebook.com/KelejRasha/videos/1336583331478575/?rdid=LUbwA6fHGdh4UlF1&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2Fv%2F165KwnvP6e%2F# Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, conducted the 12th Edition of their annual conference, “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary”, in partnership with the Government of The Gambia, on 14th and 15th October, in Banjul, The Gambia. The conference was inaugurated by Mr. MUHAMMAD B. S. JALLOW, Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia, together with Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and co-chaired by Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of Gambia and Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.), CEO of Merck Foundation and President of More Than a Mother. The First Ladies of Africa, who are also the Ambassadors of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother joined as the Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers. During the inauguration of the conference, Mr. MUHAMMAD B. S. JALLOW, Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia stated, “It is a great honor to inaugurate the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, being hosted here in The Gambia. I would also like to commend the close partnership between The First Lady of Gambia and Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO, since 2017, that continue to promote health, education, and empowerment across our nation and inspire hope for a better future.” Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and Co-Chairperson of the 12th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary shared, “I am delighted to host our prestigious annual conference in The Gambia, together with my dear sister and our long-term partner, Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, First Lady of The Gambia and Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother. I am very happy that our conference was officially inaugurated by Mr. MUHAMMAD B. S. JALLOW, Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia, together with Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees. Moreover, it was great welcoming our esteemed Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers, the First Ladies of African Countries, also the Ambassadors of the “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother”. Together, we shared experiences and engaged in meaningful discussions on the impact of our programs, aimed at transforming patient care and raising awareness on a wide range of critical social and health issues." Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of The Gambia, Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother and Co-Chairperson of the 12th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary shared, “It has been an honour to host the 12th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary in our country, inaugurated by H.E. The Vice President of The Gambia. It was an honor to welcome my dear sisters, The First Ladies of Africa, Ministers, Healthcare Experts, Media Representatives, and Delegates. I am proud of my partnership with Merck Foundation. They have provided 94 scholarships for our local Gambian doctors in more than 30 critical and undeserved specialties. 30 underserved specialties. Together we are not only transforming our public healthcare landscape but also making history as many of these doctors are becoming first specialists in their fields. I am very proud of this great achievement.” Watch the Merck Foundation Partnership Journey with The First Lady of The Gambia since 2017, here: https://youtu.be/Doazw25BwhM Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees added, “I would like to thank H.E. Mr. MUHAMMAD B. S. JALLOW, Vice President of The Republic of The Gambia, and our long-term partner H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of The Gambia for hosting our annual conference in the beautiful country of The Gambia. I would also like to thank the First Ladies of Africa, who joined as Guests of Honor, along with African Ministers, Health Experts, Policy Makers, Government Officials, Academia and Media for joining hands with us to realize the Merck Foundation’s vision that ‘Everyone can lead a Healthy and Happy life’.” The First Ladies of African Countries, who joined the 12th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary are: • H.E. Madam ANGELINE NDAYISHIMIYE, The First Lady of the Republic of Burundi • H.E. Madam BRIGITTE TOUADERA, The First Lady of Central African Republic • H.E. Mrs. KARTUMU YARTA BOAKAI, The First Lady of the Republic of Liberia • 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, First Lady of the Republic of Senegal Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej stated, “I am proud to share that Merck Foundation has provided more than 2400 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.” The conference was held in a hybrid format, featuring both physical and online participation of more than 6,000 healthcare providers, policymakers, academia, researchers, and media representatives from over 70 countries across Africa, Asia, and beyond. Of these, over 300 participants attended in person. During the 12th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, an important occasion was marked; 13 years of Merck Foundation’s development programs that started in 2012. On the first day of the conference, the Plenary Session of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2025 took place, featuring keynote speeches of First Ladies of Africa. Moreover, a high-level ministerial panel discussion was also held with African Ministers. The Day 2 of the conference will have three key parallel scientific and community awareness sessions, covering topics such as diabetes and hypertension, medical capacity building in other specialties like respiratory care, acute care, emergency pediatric and neonatal care, and more, and Health Media Training, which 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 that physically participated in the 12th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary included: Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. Countries that participated virtually included: 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, Germany, Guinea – Bissau, Guinea – Conakry, Indonesia, Lesotho, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, The Gambia, Togo, Tunisia, U.A.E, UK, US, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe and more. The 7th 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: Panel: https://www.facebook.com/KelejRasha/videos/1336583331478575/?rdid=LUbwA6fHGdh4UlF1&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2Fv%2F165KwnvP6e%2F# 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: • 2400+ 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: • 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 8.5 Million Followers. Click the link below to Download Merck Foundation App https://www.merck-foundation.com/MF_StoreRedirection 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: www.merckfoundation.com 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 www.merck-foundation.com 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. To View the Image, Click on the Link Below: Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO with The Gambia Vice President and First Lady, and First Ladies of Burundi, CAR, Liberia, Sao Tome, Senegal at Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2025 (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire India and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI