Merck Africa infertility campaign wins award

Professor Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp receives award

This was in recognition of Merck’s efforts to empower women in the field of research and healthcare through the Merck Capacity Advancement Program and UNESCO – Merck Africa Research Summit.

The award also recognises Merck’s significant contribution to empower infertile women in Africa through the ‘Merck More than a Mother’ campaign.

“The ‘Merck More than a Mother’ campaign is a very important initiative to empower an unprivileged segment of women in Africa,” Prof Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp said upon receiving his award. “Women who suffer infertility have been neglected, mistreated and discriminated because they cannot bear children, while we must also consider that 50% of infertility is caused by the male factor and yet women are solely blamed for it.”

“Through the ‘Merck more than a Mother’ campaign we started an important project called ‘Empowering Berna’. The project seeks to help infertile women, who cannot have children anymore, start their own businesses and build their independent and happier lives,” said Dr Rasha Kelej, chief social officer of Merck Healthcare.

African female researchers

The ‘African Alliances He for She Award’ award also recognise the UNESCO- Merck Africa Research Summit- MARS’s new initiative to empower African women researchers. The initiative is very critical for Africa’s future, and its social and economic development, which cannot be achieved except with the economic empowerment of women and youth.

During the same conference, the African Women Empowerment Award was granted to Samba-Penza, former president of Central African Republic and Prof Ellen Johnson-Sir leaf, president of Liberia, who was represented by Julia Duncan-Cassel Liberian minister of Gender.

During the African conference for women entrepreneurs, a high level panel of Merck ‘More Than a Mother’ campaign was conducted to discuss ‘Merck More Than a Mother’ objectives and intervention across Africa; and a commitment was made to kick off the campaign in each country during 2016 and 2017.