Merck Foundation (Merck-Foundation.com), the philanthropic
arm of Merck KGaA Germany, has continued their long term commitment to improve
access to cancer care and to build capacity through their Merck Access Program
in Africa.
CEO of Merck Foundation, Dr. Rasha Kelej, met the First Lady
of Gambia, Fatoumattah Bah-Barrow; First Lady of Lesotho, Maesiah Thabane;
First Lady of Botswana, Neo Masisi, and First Lady of Zimbabwe, Auxillia
Mnangagwa, to discuss Merck Cancer Access Program and Merck Foundation long
term partnership to build capacity in their countries in the fields of cancer,
fertility and diabetes.
“We are committed to lead Africa to a better future through
changing the landscape of Cancer care in the continent. Our meeting today was
an effort in the same direction. Merck Foundation has been actively working to
realize our vision and achieve our objectives of building professional capacity
with the aim to increase the limited number of oncologists in more than 17
African countries. We will now strengthen our efforts in more countries”,
emphasized Dr. Rasha Kelej.
So far, more than 30 candidates from Niger, Chad, Guinea,
Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Liberia, Botswana, South Africa, Gambia,
Senegal, Zambia, Namibia, Mauritius and Ghana have been enrolled in the one
year and two year Oncology Fellowship Program in partnership with African
ministries of health and First Ladies offices to be conducted in the University
of Nairobi, Kenya, Tata Memorial Centre, India, University of Malaya, Malaysia,
and Cairo University, Egypt.
Merck Cancer Access Program builds cancer care capacity,
supports the implementation and development of specialized healthcare solutions
and is augmented by community awareness campaigns to contribute to the
reduction of cancer incidences and improve survival rates.
The lack of financial means is not the only challenge in
Africa and developing countries, but a scarcity of trained health care
personnel capable to tackle the prevention, early diagnosis and management of
cancer at all levels of the health care systems is even a bigger challenge.
Therefore, Merck foundation has conducted the Merck Oncology Fellowship Program
focuses on building professional cancer care capacity with the aim to increase
the limited number of oncologists in Africa and Developing Countries.
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