Merck Foundation powers change in Kenya's health and education sectors

From left, Senator, Dr Rasha Kelej, Merck Foundation CEO, Rachael Ruto, First Lady, Kenya and Dr Frank Stangenberg - Haverkamp, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Merck Foundation.[Gloria Milimu, Standard] Kenya's healthcare system is receiving a significant boost through continuous support from the Merck Foundation, training medical specialists to serve communities that have long lacked adequate healthcare access. Speaking at the seventh edition of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI) Summit, First Lady Rachel Ruto lauded the Foundation's role in transforming lives through improving health care delivery and empowering girls through education. "Since 2012, Merck Foundation has provided 244 scholarships for our Kenyan doctors. This is an extraordinary milestone that will leave a lasting impact on the quality and accessibility of health care across our nation. 50 per cent of these scholarships are provided for female healthcare workers, which is a great milestone in women's empowerment," the first lady said, presenting achievements of the partnership with the foundation. The first lady further emphasised that the partnership aims at enrolling more doctors to serve Kenya and Africans who seek medical services in the country. "We are in the process of enrolling 100 beneficiaries from Kenya for a post-graduate diploma in clinical nutrition at the University of Buckingham in England," she added. She also lauded the Foundation's Educating Linda program, which supports underprivileged but high-performing girls by offering full scholarships from secondary school through college. One of the scholarship beneficiaries, Dr Elijah Mwaura Chege, brought services back to his local community in Tharaka-Nithi after completing a Master of Surgery in Urology at the University of Edinburgh. "Before this opportunity, patients in my region had to travel long distances...sometimes hundreds of kilometres to access specialised urological care. Many endured pain in silence. Some never made the journey, but today I can offer solutions at home where it's most needed. This is more than a degree. It's the power to restore dignity," Dr.Chege said. Doctor Rasha Kelej, Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, noted the organisation's continued commitment to addressing Africa's shortage of medical specialists. "Our scholarships in over 44 critical specialities are addressing Africa's dire shortage of medical specialists, and we are proud of the significant impact this has made. Since 2012, we have offered 2,520 scholarships. These scholarships have supported doctors from 52 countries across Africa and South Asia," Dr. Kelej noted. Under the girls' education programme, Dr.Kelej said the Foundation had provided about 1000 scholarships in over 17 countries in partnership with the first ladies. Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of the Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, cited a 2021 World Health Organisation report, which reveals that Africa bears 24 per cent of the global disease burden, yet has only 2.91 healthcare workers per 1,000 people. He noted that the shortage is exacerbated by unequal distribution of personnel between urban and rural areas and between the public and private sectors. The summit celebrated Merck Foundation's 8th anniversary, showcasing the efforts made in training over 1,800 healthcare providers across 50 countries in reproductive health, oncology, and diabetes, thus advancing the continent's healthcare systems and strengthening women's empowerment.

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