By: Winnie Osika
Kenya’s First Lady, Her Excellency Mrs. Rachel Ruto, has urged the expansion of Merck’s More Than a Mother Campaign to include dedicated programs aimed at improving child health, with a special focus on nutrition and school feeding initiatives.
Highlighting the importance of proper nutrition for the development and well-being of children, she emphasized that these initiatives are essential for building a healthier future generation.
“Nutrition is critical in unlocking children’s potential and a healthy meal can be the bridge that helps a child to attend school and concentrate on their education. A healthy child is better placed to learn and succeed in life.” Said Rachel.
The First Lady further emphasized the importance of investing in education for African children, describing it as the most powerful tool for transforming the world. To address learning poverty, she expressed confidence that support for initiatives like school feeding programs from organizations such as Merck Foundation, along with other partners, will greatly benefit communities and the continent as a whole.
A study conducted by The African Population and Health Research Center to explore the experiences of schools in implementing school meal programs acknowledged the important role that the provision of school meal plays, in enhancing school enrolment, attendance and concentration.
In Kenya, school going children and adolescents spend most of their time in school, about 75% of the year, where they consume more than half of their daily meals. The school environment is, therefore a suitable platform for promoting and providing healthy diets as a strategy to reduce the risks of malnutrition and realise the right to adequate food and nutrition for children as envisaged in the constitution.
Ruto was speaking during the inauguration of the First Ladies’ 11th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania which was officially inaugurated by the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu.
During the 11th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, two important occasions were marked; the 7th Anniversary of Merck Foundation and 12 years of Merck Foundation’s development programs that started in 2012.
The organization is currently running a campaign “More Than a Mother”, a movement that aims to empower infertile and childless women through access to information, education and change of mindset. This campaign supports in defining policies and interventions to build quality and equitable Reproductive and Fertility Care Capacity, Break Infertility Stigma and Raise Awareness about Infertility Prevention and Male Infertility.
Kenya has greatly benefited from Merck Foundation programmes with over 210 scholarships provided to local doctors in undeserved medical specialties.
While inaugurating the conference, The President of United Republic of Tanzania, H.E Dr. SAMIA SULUHU HASSAN said,
“It is a great honor to inaugurate the conference alongside the First Ladies of Africa and Asia. I am certain that this conference will help us to achieve our shared mission — to make a transformation in the health and well-being of our people. I deeply appreciate the programs of Merck Foundation that are building healthcare capacity, breaking infertility stigma, and supporting girl education.”
Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation lauded the first ladies of African and Asian Countries, also the Ambassadors of the “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” for their shared experiences and discussions on the impact of Merck’s programs, aimed at transforming patient care and raising awareness on a wide range of critical social and health issues.
Merck Foundation has provided more than 2080 scholarships to young doctors from 50 countries in 42 critical and underserved specialties such as Oncology and Cancer care, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Cardiovascular, Fertility Care, Embryology and Sexual & Reproductive Medicine.
Other areas include Internal Medicine, Respiratory Medicine, Acute Medicine, Critical Care, Pediatric Emergency, Gastroenterology, Rheumatology, Clinical Psychiatry, Urology, Ophthalmology, General Surgery, Trauma & Orthopedic and Dermatology.
The conference convened first ladies of 15 countries among them Burundi, DRC, Cabo Verde, Central Africa Republic, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia and Malawi.
Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees lauded the participants for joining hands in realizing the Merck Foundation’s vision that “Everyone can lead a Healthy and Happy life.”
The conference brought together more than 6000 healthcare providers, policymakers, and media to advance healthcare capacity and awareness in 44 critical and underserved medical specialities.
