The First Lady of Liberia, Mrs. Clar Weah, has extolled Merck Foundation for coming to the aid of Liberia especially at the crucial time when the world was battling COVID 19 and the country was in dire need of assistance to build the healthcare capacity its citizens to have access to equitable and quality healthcare.
“We are glad to report that in Liberia, Merck Foundation programs have strongly pushed to help support the continuous building and improving our healthcare capacity by providing effective training for our healthcare providers at all levels through the offering of scholarships in various specialty areas such as: Diabetes, Cardiovascular Preventive, Sexual and Reproductive care, Respiratory care and Acute & Intensive Care, Oncology and Fertility Specialists and Embryology Training. Such intervention by the Merck Foundation here in Liberia is being historically recorded in the annals of Liberia, something we do not take lightly,” Madam Weah stated.
Making the assertion on May 18, 2022 at the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative – MFFLI – VC virtual Summit, First Lady Clar Weah expressed thanks and appreciation for the partnership with Merck Foundation that has been very helpful to the country and its people.
“In Liberia, we will, in tandem with the Merck Foundation and as the Ambassador of Merck More Than a Mother, work closely with our supported healthcare professionals to empower infertile women through access to information, education, health and change of mind set. Moreover, to address critical social and health issues like empowering girls in education, stopping GBV, ending child marriage, ending FGM, prevention and early detection of diabetes etc.
We were quite elated to have launched Merck Foundation “More than a Mother” Awards and “Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Awards” for media, filmmakers, musicians and fashion designers. This is a very unique initiative to encourage our young talents to address important and critical social and health issues of our communities.
We have celebrated winners of past editions and look forward to celebrating this year as well. I am particularly thankful to Merck Foundation and my dear sister Dr. Rasha Kelej for providing Sanitary Napkin Production Machine and raw materials for Liberia under the “Hygiene Management of School Girls” and “Educating Linda” program that I started in Liberia last year.
“After providing the training required to start operating this machine, we will be able to provide thousands of good quality sanitary pads to our schoolgirls, ensuring good menstrual hygiene for them so they can continue their education without interruption. This program will prove very beneficial for our girls and their empowerment through education, and I am very passionate about this initiative. However, due to our context and the volume of requests and urgent needs, we truly seek a deeper level of support for our programs here in Liberia and seek your warm and generous understanding.
“As we continuously strive to break the infertility stigma and emphasize family values of love and respect, I must say that the 30,000 copies of the three children’s storybooks, “Marpeh’s Story”, “Educating Miatta” and “Make the Right Choice” that were distributed to our schools helped tremendously,” the First Lady enthused.
Gracing the virtual program were a coterie of African First Ladies including First Lady Clar Marie Weah; Chairman of Executive Board of Merck, Prof. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp; and the CEO of Merck Foundation, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej.
The Merck Foundation in-person Annual Conference of Merck Foundation-Merck Africa Asia Luminary will be held in November this year.
Comments are closed.