CEO of the Merck Foundation recognizes the efforts of the First Lady of Burundi as Ambassador of “More Than a Mother” to strengthen health care capacities, break the stigma of infertility and support girls’ education; The Merck Foundation has provided about 50 scholarships to doctors in 36 underserved medical specialties in Burundi; The Burundi Merck Foundation Alumni Summit and the 2023 Merck Foundation Awards Ceremony were held in Burundi under the chairmanship of the First Lady of Burundi and the CEO of the Merck Foundation; After celebrating the 2022 winners, the Merck Foundation and the First Lady of Burundi have announced the call for applications for 2 categories of 2023, which includes 8 awards for media, musicians, fashion designers, filmmakers, students and potential new talent in these fields.
Senator, Dr Rasha Kelej, CEO of the Merck Foundation, the philanthropic branch of Merck KGaA Germany has joined H.E. Ms Angeline Ndayishimiye, The First Lady of Burundi & Ambassador of the Merck Foundation «More Than a Mother» in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education of Burundi to inaugurate the First IVF Public Centre in Burundi and to thank its staff who have been trained by the Merck Foundation Scholarships to be the first fertility care team in the Burundi.
Senator, Dr Rasha Kelej, CEO of the Merck Foundation and Chair of the More Than a Mother Campaign, said: “I am very proud to be here today to celebrate such an exceptional milestone, a story in the making, to train the first IVF and fertility care team in Burundi to be the staff of the first public IVF centre created by my dear sister, the First Lady of Burundi. This is the best step to improve couples’ access to quality and equitable fertility care, thus breaking the stigma of infertility around women and couples. I am proud to see our Merck Foundation Alumni sharing their knowledge and skills with other physicians, media and community members to raise awareness about male infertility and prevention and infertility management. These types of workshops are essential to creating culture change and breaking the silence.”
“Today, we share with all audiences in person and online the impact of our programs that aim to transform patient care, build health care and media capacity, break the stigma of infertility, empower women,” said Minister Aglukkaq. to support girls’ education in Burundi and the rest of Africa.
In addition, we have officially launched our programs in partnership with my dear sister, the First Lady of Burundi, which began in 2020. We have accomplished a lot in a very short time since then,” added Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej.
