Nigeria’s First lady partners Merck Foundation to boost healthcare, girl child education

Nigeria’s first lady Oluremi Tinubu has welcomed the partnership with Merck Foundation geared towards building healthcare and media capacity, breaking infertility stigma and supporting girl education in Nigeria and other countries. She stated this during the 7th edition of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative, (MFFLI) Summit in Dubai. United Arab Emirates. She said the […]

Nigeria’s first lady Oluremi Tinubu has welcomed the partnership with Merck Foundation geared towards building healthcare and media capacity, breaking infertility stigma and supporting girl education in Nigeria and other countries.

She stated this during the 7th edition of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative, (MFFLI) Summit in Dubai. United Arab Emirates.

She said the foundation has provided 63 scholarships for young Nigerian doctors in various critical and underserved specialties.

The first lady said upon completing the courses, the doctors will have the capability to establish clinics within their respective health centers or hospitals, adding that ” they will be able to provide essential care, helping to prevent and manage these conditions within their own communities.”

While saying that these programs are highly beneficial for Nigeria, she said she is committed to expanding it further through her office and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

She said, “By doing so, we will be able to empower more Nigerian doctors, ultimately enhancing public health care and improving the well being of our people.”

Mrs Tinubu also called on the foundation to extend its educating Linda program, (which sponsors 20 high performing underprivileged girls till they graduate) to underprivileged Nigerian girls.

Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, Chief Executive Officer of Merck Foundation, said the foundation has provided scholarships for doctors from 52 countries in 44 critical specialties in Africa and Asia.

While saying there is alot of healthcare needs in Africa and Asia, she said the foundation has provided 2, 270 scholarships in specialities such as sexual and reproductive medicine, internal medicine, respiratory medicine, acute medicine, critical care, pediatric emergency gastroenterology, rheumatology, clinical psychiatry, urology, ophthalmology, general surgery, trauma and orthopedics, and oncology among others.

She harped on the importance of girl child education saying it is critical to saving girls from early child marriage and other practices, as well as attaining their full potential.

The chairman of both the Executive Board of E. Merck KG and Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, Prof. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, said the summit was a powerful symbol of what the foundation and first Ladies could accomplish when they unite for a shared vision and purpose.

He said, “Our vision at Merck Foundation has always been simple, yet deeply transformative that everyone should be able to lead a healthy and happy life.”

He added that the vision has driven its mission to build and advance healthcare capacity, transform patient care landscape, break the stigma of infertility, empower women and support girl education.

He said, “We all know the lack of financial resources is not the only challenge facing Africa, a more pressing issue is the scarcity of trained healthcare providers capable of effectively preventing, diagnosing and managing diseases in those countries. This sweeping shortage of medical and healthcare personnel has been one of the most critical barriers to access quality health care across the continent.”