Speaking on the occasion, Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO, Senator Dr Rasha Kelej (Ret.), said the foundation is addressing one of the most pressing challenges in cancer care: late diagnosis and the lack of trained specialists.
She noted that through close collaboration with African First Ladies, the foundation has already provided 258 oncology scholarships to healthcare providers from 34 African and Asian countries.
“In several countries, there was not even a single oncologist. We are proud to be making history by training the first oncologists and the first multidisciplinary cancer care teams in countries such as The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Liberia, Guinea Conakry, Central African Republic, Chad and Niger,” Dr Kelej said.
Overall, Merck Foundation has awarded more than 2,500 scholarships to healthcare providers from 52 countries across 44 critical and underserved medical specialties, with oncology remaining a key focus area.
The foundation is also establishing multidisciplinary oncology teams by training specialists in medical, surgical, paediatric and gynaecological oncology, breast and haematological oncology, radiation oncology, pathology, palliative care, oncology nursing and related fields.
As part of its awareness drive, Merck Foundation, together with African First Ladies, recently launched a children’s storybook and animation film titled “Ray of Hope” in three languages. The initiative aims to promote early detection of cancer and highlight the importance of access to well-trained cancer care teams, particularly for childhood cancers.
According to World Health Organization data from 2022, Africa records approximately 1.1 million new cancer cases and about 700,000 cancer-related deaths each year, with mortality rates significantly higher than in many other regions due to late diagnosis and limited access to care.
Beneficiaries say the impact is transformative. Judith Mkwaila, a Merck Foundation alumna from Malawi, described how a surgical oncology fellowship enabled her to become the first and only female Chief Surgeon at Mzuzu Central Hospital. “The training equipped me with both theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills, allowing me to improve cancer care services and save lives,” she said.
