Merck Foundation supports Namibian doctors with over 90 scholarships to address healthcare gaps

Tanzanian president Samia Hassan says progress has been made in maternal care in Tanzania, but more needs to be done.

She says producing local specialist doctors is a challenge the Merck Foundation is helping to address by offering doctors across Africa medical scholarships.

Hassan was speaking at the 11th edition of the Merck Foundation Africa-Asia annual conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Tuesday.

Namibian doctors have so far received over 90 scholarships from the Merck Foundation in the fields of oncology, fertility and hypertension.

The annual conference is aimed at discussing solutions for the health challenges Africa and Asia are facing.

Merck Foundation founder and chairman Frank Haverkamp says the foundation continues to transform access to quality healthcare in Africa and Asia.

“Over 2 080 scholarships have been provided to doctors from 52 countries in 44 specialties, making our alumni the first specialists in their countries” he said at the event.

Merck Foundation chief executive Rasha Kelej says the foundation aims to transform patient care and raise awareness of social and health issues.

“I commend all our partners for the support and progress made thus far, reflecting on our seventh anniversary and celebrating 12 years of development programmes, ” he said.

Merck Foundation, in partnership with African First Ladies and ministries of health and medical societies, have contributed to reshaping the public healthcare sector and transforming the patient care landscape in 52 countries across the two continents, Kelej said.

The ‘More Than a Mother’ and ‘More Than a Father’ programmes form part of the foundation’s projects. They advocate and raise awareness of diabetes and hypertension prevention, supporting girls’ education, ending child marriage, and breaking infertility stigma through animated films and music videos.