By Elvis Dumba
Dubai-First Lady Dr. Auxilia Mnangagwa has praised the collaborative efforts of Merck Foundation through its First Ladies Initiative, which has significantly contributed to Zimbabwe’s development in health, education, and media.
Speaking at the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative Summit in Dubai, Dr. Mnangagwa highlighted the impactful partnership between her Angel of Hope Foundation and Merck Foundation since 2019.
“In the last six years, we have built strong partnerships that have helped my country in many ways and have achieved collaborations in the spheres of health, education, media, and socio-economic,” Dr. Mnangagwa said.
“This collaboration has resulted in empowering various experts in the country, including health professionals, students, and media practitioners.”
The medical sector has benefited from skills development in critical health specialty areas.
“Doctors have received support for training in critical specialties across a wide range of programs from Merck Foundation, which include medicine, surgery, gynecology, and pediatrics,” Dr. Mnangagwa who is also Merck Foundation’s “More than a mother” Ambassador noted.
“These critical skills are important in Zimbabwe as we strive to be an upper-middle-income society by 2030.”
Equipping local medical professionals has helped the country save money and enabled them to serve rural and hard-to-reach areas.
“By training our own specialists locally, we can second them to areas that need them most, fulfilling our mantra of leaving no person or place behind,” she emphasized.
The partnership has also led to the establishment of two centers of excellence in fertility issues in Harare and Bulawayo.
In education, girls from underprivileged backgrounds have benefited from scholarships, with over 40 girls per year receiving support.
“Through our collaborations with the education sector in my country, girls from underprivileged backgrounds are identified and given scholarships to enable them to get good quality secondary education,” Dr. Mnangagwa explained.
The media sector has also benefited, with journalists receiving training and support.
“The media also continue to get support through media trainings, and we have seen in Zimbabwe the depth of media’s well-researched articles on all health and socio-economic issues, with the Merck Foundation media awards motivating them to work hard and advance themselves,” she said.
Merck Foundation‘s objectives include breaking infertility stigma, building healthcare capacity, empowering women and girls through education, and supporting media development to raise awareness on critical health issues, ultimately contributing to the betterment of society.
The summit is being attended by. developmwnt partners and other First Ladies from African and Asian countries .
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