By Dumbani Mzale in Dubai, United Arab Emirates:
The Office of First Lady Monica Chakwera has described the 7th edition of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI) Summit, currently underway in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as crucial in renewing Malawi’s energy and propelling forward all initiatives under Chakwera’s Shaping Our Future Foundation (Soff).
Speaking Wednesday in Dubai, Chief Adviser to the First Lady-cum-Soff Executive Director Michael Mkandawire said there was a warm, longstanding partnership between Merck Foundation and the Office of the First Lady.
“Through this summit, Malawi does not just gain recognition; we gain partners, ideas and renewed energy to push forward the mission of shaping a more just and healthy future for our people,” Mkandawire said on the sidelines of the two-day summit.
He is leading the Malawi delegation at the summit and has represented Chakwera, who did not travel to the event.
He said through partnership with Merck Foundation, Malawi has already benefitted vastly, citing the awarding of 58 scholarships to Malawian doctors and nurses, enabling them to specialise in critical and underserved medical fields such as oncology, fertility, endocrinology, diabetes and psychiatry.
Mkandawire added that Malawi’s participation, along with the showcasing of an impact video at the summit, had created opportunities for the country in areas of policy influence, partnership building and the expansion of resource channels for strategic national initiatives.
“The presentation of Malawi’s journey and accomplishments, as championed by Her Excellency, opens new doors for young girls in remote communities who dream of education, for doctors in under-resourced clinics who require specialised training and for entire communities seeking dignity and equity in healthcare access,” he said.
Speaking during the official opening of the summit yesterday, Merck Foundation Chief Executive Officer Rasha Kelej described this year’s indaba as crucial and historic, saying it coincides with the 13th anniversary of the foundation’s “years of success” since its inception in 2012.
“We will continue to transform the landscape of the health sector in both Africa and some parts of Asia,” Kelej said.
The summit, which has brought together 14 first ladies from Africa and Asia, will also review the progress of ongoing collaborations with Merck Foundation since the 11th edition of the Merck Foundation Africa-Asia Luminary that was held in Tanzania in October last year.
