Libreville, Gabon – 2026 — Merck Foundation has officially launched its long-term development programs in Gabon in partnership with Zita Oligui Nguema, the First Lady of the Gabonese Republic and Ambassador of the “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” campaign.
The announcement was made during the Merck Foundation Gabon Annual Summit 2026 held at the Gabon State House. The event was chaired by the First Lady of Gabon, alongside Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of the Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation.
Speaking during the summit, Dr. Rasha Kelej highlighted the significance of the partnership, which began in 2024 and aims to strengthen healthcare systems, improve patient care, break the stigma surrounding infertility, empower women, and support girls’ education across Gabon and the wider African continent.
“It is a great honor to meet my dear sister, H.E. Madam Zita Oligui Nguema, The First Lady of Gabon. We officially declared her as the Ambassador of the ‘Merck Foundation More Than a Mother’ campaign,” Dr. Kelej said. “Together, we are committed to building healthcare and media capacity, transforming patient care, breaking infertility stigma, and supporting girl education in the country.”
Professor Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp reaffirmed the foundation’s mission to improve healthcare access and medical expertise across developing countries.
“Our aim is to improve the overall health and wellbeing of people by building healthcare capacity across Africa, Asia, and other developing countries. We are strongly committed to transforming the patient care landscape through our scholarships program,” he stated.
First Lady Zita Oligui Nguema described the initiative as a historic milestone for Gabon, emphasizing the impact already achieved within a short period.
“This is the first time that we are working on such impactful programs; it is history in the making,” she said. “Through our long-term partnership, which started in 2024, we have achieved a lot in a very short span of time.”
According to Merck Foundation, the partnership has already provided 16 scholarships for Gabonese healthcare professionals. The scholarships focus on critical and underserved medical specialties, including fertility, embryology, oncology, diabetes, and hypertension care.
In addition to healthcare development, the initiative is also advancing girls’ education through the “Educating Linda” program. Under the initiative, 40 high-performing but underprivileged schoolgirls will receive annual scholarships until graduation.
Several beneficiaries of the program attended the launch event and shared testimonies about how the scholarships have transformed their lives and educational opportunities.
Dr. Kelej expressed appreciation to the First Lady for supporting the initiative and inspiring young girls to pursue education and leadership.
“Together we are empowering girls to achieve their dreams and become productive members of society — becoming truly More Than Mothers,” she said.
The summit concluded with a renewed commitment from both Merck Foundation and the Government of Gabon to expand healthcare training, social empowerment, and educational opportunities across the country and throughout Africa.
By Samuel Mbewe
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