Article By: Rorisang Mogojwe
Merck Foundation has awarded over 1700 scholarships to young doctors from 50 countries, including Botswana, to support the development of healthcare capacity and equitable access to quality healthcare in Africa and Asia.
Scholarships are for some critical and underserved specialties, such as oncology, diabetes, endocrinology, and cardiovascular.
Speaking at the the 10th Edition of “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary in India, Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of both the Executive Board of E.Merck KG and the Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, said that many of the scholarship recipients are becoming the first specialists in their countries. Many of these scholarships were conducted in India, where a state-of-the-art clinical training was provided at prestigious training institutions.
Stangenberg-Haverkamp noted that this would not have been possible without the efforts and support of the African First Ladies.
During the Luminary, the First Ladies of 11 African Countries, also the Ambassadors of Merck Foundation "More Than a Mother," including Botswana's First Lady Neo Masisi, celebrated the 6th Anniversary of Merck Foundation and marked the 11-year journey of Merck Foundation development programs that started in 2012.
Meanwhile First Lady Neo Jane Masisi lauded the positive impact of the partnership between the Merck Foundation and African Governments, particularly in healthcare, towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3.