Merck Foundation marks 10th Anniversary of its flagship “More Than a Mother” campaign

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA, has marked the 10th anniversary of its flagship “More Than a Mother” campaign, celebrating a decade of efforts to break the stigma surrounding infertility and empower women across Africa and Asia.

The campaign, launched in 2015 by Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, Chief Executive Officer of Merck Foundation, has worked closely with more than 33 African and Asian First Ladies, including those from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia and Sierra Leone, to tackle infertility stigma, strengthen fertility care systems and promote girls’ education.

Speaking on the milestone, Dr. Kelej described the initiative as a deeply personal mission aimed at changing perceptions around infertility, especially for women who are often unfairly blamed for childlessness.

“I created ‘More Than a Mother’ to break the stigma around infertility and to empower women living with infertility through access to information, education, health and change of mindset,” she said.

She noted that over the past decade, the foundation had awarded more than 770 scholarships to healthcare providers from 42 countries to strengthen fertility and reproductive healthcare.

The scholarships cover specialised training in fertility care, embryology, sexual and reproductive medicine, women’s health, family medicine, clinical psychiatry, urology and laparoscopic surgical skills.

According to Dr. Kelej, many beneficiaries have become the first local fertility specialists and embryologists in countries that previously had none, including The Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Burundi and Niger.

She added that the foundation had also supported the establishment of the first public In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) centres in countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Tanzania by training IVF and fertility care teams.

The World Health Organization estimates that more than 180 million couples in developing countries suffer from infertility, representing one in every four couples.

In many African societies, infertility remains a major source of stigma, with women frequently blamed for the inability to conceive, often resulting in discrimination, domestic violence, divorce and psychological trauma.

To address this, Merck Foundation launched several initiatives under the “More Than a Mother” campaign, including the “Empowering Berna” programme, which supports women who can no longer be treated for infertility by providing vocational training and helping them establish small businesses.

The programme has transformed the lives of many women in countries such as Kenya, Nigeria, Malawi and the Central African Republic.

“It is all about giving every woman the respect and the help she deserves to lead a fulfilling life, with or without a child,” Dr. Kelej stressed.

Beyond healthcare interventions, the foundation has trained more than 3,700 media professionals from over 35 countries to raise awareness and challenge harmful cultural beliefs about infertility.

It has also launched children’s storybooks and animation films to promote values of love, respect and empathy from an early age, while using music, television and fashion as advocacy tools.

In Ghana, musicians including Cwesi Oteng and Adina joined the campaign through the “More Than a Mother” song to amplify public awareness.

Dr. Kelej announced that the foundation would continue its annual “More Than a Mother” Awards in partnership with African First Ladies to encourage journalists, filmmakers, musicians, students and fashion designers to use their creative works to advocate for social change.

She urged African media professionals and creatives to participate by submitting entries for this year’s awards, saying sustained public engagement remained key to ending infertility stigma across the continent.