Date: 21-09-2018 10:50AM Source: Merck Foundation Category: General, Govt. & Public Policy, Ngo, Science & Research, Social Issues, Healthcare & Biotechnology, Media & Entertainment, Medical Devices, Pharmaceutical, Events And Conferences, Philanthropy Location: Dakar, Senegal & Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Business Wire India
Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation & President, Merck More than a Mother with a group of women in Uganda
Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation & President, Merck More than a Mother holding a chicken gifted by the women in Uganda
Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation & President, Merck More than a Mother with local women
Merck More Than A Mother-Empowering Geraldine Missie from Cote D'Ivoire
Merck Foundation to provide training to media representatives from Senegal
Merck Foundation to Call for Application for ‘Merck More than a Mother’ Media Recognition Awards 2018
Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany will organize the Merck Health Media Training on 31st of October 2018 at Le Centre International de conferences Abdou DIOUF (CICAD) in Dakar, Senegal from 11:00 to 17:30.
The training program is a part of ‘Merck More than a Mother’ community awareness initiative and is being organized for the first time in Senegal for the media representatives.
“I am delighted to initiate this important training session as I strongly believe that media plays a significant to influence our society to create a cultural shift. It has the capacity and ability to break the stigma around infertility in the community”, explained Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of Merck More than a Mother.
The training will be addressed by stalwarts of Media and top Infertility experts. It will also provide a great opportunity for the journalists to meet the experts and also to network with each other and work as a unit to eradicate the stigma around infertility in Senegal and rest of Africa. It will be attended by journalists working for Print, TV, Radio and Online media.
“The Merck Health Media Training program will focus on the international standards and media ethics for reporting sensitive issues like infertility in Africa. It is designed to benefit the journalists in understanding the infertility issues in African communities and to learn the best media practices to cover such issues.” Dr. Rasha Kelej added.
Merck Foundation will also announce the Call for Application for “Merck More than a Mother” ‘Media Recognition Awards’ 2018 from Senegal and rest of Africa. The “Merck More than a Mother” ‘Media Recognition Awards’ were launched in 2017 with the aim to emphasize the role of media in enhancing the public engagement and understanding of infertility stigma and the need to change its social perception in African communities. The winners were awarded at an award ceremony conducted earlier this year in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Merck Health Media Training is be organized on the side-lines of Fifth Edition of “MERCK AFRICA ASIA LUMNIARY” being organized in Dakar, Senegal on the 30th & 31st of October 2018, under the patronage of The President of The Republic of Senegal, H.E. MACKY SALL and The First Lady of Senegal, H.E. MARIEME FAYE SALL, and in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Senegal. It will be attended by more than 450 healthcare providers, policy makers, academia and researchers from over 45 English and French-speaking African and Asian countries. The objective is to improve disease management, early detection, and prevention, build healthcare and scientific research capacity and improve access to innovative and equitable healthcare solutions across the continent.
Merck Foundation conducted its First Health Media Training for English speaking media representatives earlier this year in Nairobi. The program saw attendance from journalists from over 200 journalists from various African countries like Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Gambia, Namibia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Ethiopia, Botswana, Liberia, Cameroon, Burundi, Malawi, Mauritius, Zambia, and Sierra Leona.
Merck Foundation will also organize a similar training program for media representatives from French-speaking countries in Mauritius in December 2018.
About ‘Merck More Than a Mother’ campaign
In many cultures, childless women suffer discrimination, stigma, and ostracism. Their inability to have children results in great isolation, disinheritance, and assaults. “Merck More Than a Mother” empowers such women through the access to information, health, change of mindsets and economic empowerment.
As part of this Campaign, we started “Empowering Berna” project in Africa to help childless and infertile women starting their own business and thus achieve financial independence and become stronger and happier. The project has benefited more than 1,000 women across the continent.
Also, part of the campaign is our Merck Embryology & Fertility Training Program, a three-month hands-on practical course to establish the platform of fertility specialists across Africa and Asia.
Merck Foundation provided for more than 50 candidates, three months to six months clinical and practical training for fertility specialists and embryologists in more than 29 countries across Africa and Asia such as: Chad, Niger, Central African Republic, Cote D’Ivoire , Ghana, Ethiopia , Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania , Zambia , Nigeria, Benin, Mali, Burkina Fuso, Senegal, Guinea Conakry, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cameron, Rwanda, Botswana, DR Congo , Congo Brazzaville, Gambia , Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Cambodia.
Merck Foundation is making history in many African countries where they never had fertility specialists or specialized fertility clinics before ‘Merck More Than a Mother’ intervention, to train the first fertility specialists such as; in Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Gambia, Niger, Chad, and Guinea.
Merck Foundation plan supported the establishment of the first public IVF centers in Ethiopia and Uganda through providing the clinical and practical training necessary for their staff. Merck Foundation also plans to support the establishment of the first public IVF in Tanzania soon.
“Merck more than a Mother” launched in 2015, is a program of the Merck Foundation, the foundation drives many of our initiatives and programs in the area of build health care and research capacity and improves access to equitable healthcare solutions.
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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 innovative healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare and scientific research capacity 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 go to www.merck-foundation.com to read more and/or register online to interact and exchange experience with our registered members.
About Merck
Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Almost 53,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life – from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2017, Merck generated sales of € 15.3 billion in 66 countries.
Founded in 1668, Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma.
