Dubai, United Arab Emirates & Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO together with the First Ladies of Angola, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Gabon, The Gambia, Kenya, Liberia, Maldives, Mozambique, Nigeria and São Tomé and Príncipe inaugurated the 13th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2026.
Link to Live Stream of Inaugural Session of 13th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2026: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ECXNpQsaJ/.Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, conducted the 13th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2026 on 18th and 19th June, through an online videoconference. The annual conference was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and Chairperson of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, along with The First Ladies of 12 African and Asian countries, who joined as the Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers.Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.), CEO of Merck Foundation, President of “More Than a Mother” and Chairperson of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary emphasized, “It is a great privilege to welcome our distinguished Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers, The First Ladies of Africa and Asia, who are the Ambassadors of our ‘More Than a Mother’ campaign to the 13th Edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary.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.”Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, added, “I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the First Ladies of Africa and Asia who joined us as Guests of Honor, as well as to the Ministers, healthcare experts, policymakers, government officials, academia, media representatives, and all our partners for their unwavering support and collaboration. At Merck Foundation, we remain committed to improving health a,nd well-being by building healthcare capacity and providing 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.”The First Ladies of African and Asian Countries, who joined the 13th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary are:
