Merck Foundation and Ministry of Gender Equality of Mauritius Train the Journalists to Raise Awareness on Sensitive Social and Health Issues

BusinessWire India
Port Louis [Mauritius]/ Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 7: Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany conducted the Fourth Edition of their "Merck Foundation Health Media Training" in partnership with Ministry of Gender Equality & Family Welfare, Mauritius. The training session was co-chaired by Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and Hon'ble Ms. Marie Arianne Navarre-Marie, Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Mauritius.
Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of "More Than a Mother" Campaign shared, "I strongly believed in the power of media, and that role it plays a significant role in shaping our society. I have always said that Media enters every home, even without an invitation. Therefore, journalists can make a difference through their day-to-day work and create a cultural shift by raising awareness about social and health issues like Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Ending Child Marriage, Stopping GBV and raising awareness about early detection and prevention of Diabetes & Hypertension."
"Through our Health Media Training we aim to empower the journalists to break the silence and be the voice of the voiceless, by providing them access to information."
Merck Foundation Health Media Training is a part of 'Merck Foundation More than a Mother' Community Awareness Program. The training was addressed by a panel of eminent personalities from the fields of Fertility, Psychiatry, Diabetes, and media stalwarts and was attended by Mauritian journalists from Print, TV, Radio, and Online media platforms. The esteemed panel also addressed queries from the attendees.
During her visit, she also met H.E. MR. DHARAMBEER GOKHOOL, The President of Republic of Mauritius, to share the impact of their 100 Scholarships for Mauritian Doctors in 42 critical and under-served specialties, in partnership with Ministry of Health.
"It was a great honor to meet H.E. MR. DHARAMBEER GOKHOOL, The President of Republic of Mauritius and share with him the impact of our partnership and programs since 2017 that aim to transform patient care, build healthcare and media capacity, to empower women in STEM, support girl education and raise awareness about social and health issues in Mauritius and the rest of Africa. We are strongly committed to work closely with Ministry of Health to improve access to innovative and equitable healthcare solutions," shared Dr. Kelej.
She also met Hon'ble Ms. Marie Arianne Navarre-Marie, Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Mauritius.
"I am very happy to share that together with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, we are launching our Educating Linda Program in the country, as a part of which we will be supporting the education of 20 high performing yet underprivileged Mauritian schoolgirls, till they graduate. Through this, we will be empowering them to complete their studies and reach their full potential," she shared.
The 100 scholarships for local Mauritian Doctors have been provided for One-Year PG Diploma and Two-year Master Degrees in many critical specialties including Fertility, Embryology, Sexual & Reproductive Care, Oncology, Preventative Cardiovascular, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Acute Medicine, Respiratory, Gastroenterology, Dermatology, Neuroimaging for Research, Sexual & Reproductive Care, Clinical Microbiology and infectious diseases, Internal Medicine, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Ophthalmology, Laparoscopic Surgical Skills, Critical Care, Neonatal Medicine, Psychiatry, Family Medicine, Advanced Cytopathology and many more.
Merck Foundation has so far provided more than 2280 scholarships for young doctors from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties, with many of them becoming the first specialists in their countries.
During the Merck Foundation Health Media Training session, the Call for Application for 8 important Merck Foundation Awards were announced for Media, Musicians, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, students, and new potential talents in these fields.
The awards announced are:
1. Merck Foundation Africa Media Recognition Awards "More Than a Mother" 2025, in partnership with Media Trust Board, Mauritius: Media representatives and media students are invited to showcase their work to raise awareness about one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels.
Submission deadline: 30th September 2025.
2. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards "More Than a Mother" 2025, in partnership with Academy of Design and Innovation, Mauritius: All African Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to raise awareness about one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels.
Submission deadline: 30th September 2025.
3. Merck Foundation Film Awards "More Than a Mother" 2025: All African Filmmakers, Students of Film Making Training Institutions, or Young Talents of Africa are invited to create and share a long or short FILMS, either drama, documentary, or docudrama to deliver strong and influential messages to address one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels.
Submission deadline: 30th September 2025.
4. Merck Foundation Song Awards "More Than a Mother" 2025: All African Singers and Musical Artists are invited to create and share a SONG with the aim to address one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels.
Submission deadline: 30th September 2025.
5. Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards 2025 "Diabetes & Hypertension", in partnership with Media Trust Board, Mauritius: Media representatives are invited to showcase their work through strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.
Submission deadline: 30th October 2025.
6. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards 2025 "Diabetes & Hypertension", in partnership with Academy of Design and Innovation, Mauritius: All African Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.
Submission deadline: 30th October 2025.
7. Merck Foundation Film Awards 2025 "Diabetes & Hypertension": All African Filmmakers, Students of Film Making Training Institutions, or Young Talents of Africa are invited to create and share a long or short FILMS, either drama, documentary, or docudrama to deliver strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle raise awareness about prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.
Submission deadline: 30th October 2025.
8. Merck Foundation Song Awards 2025 "Diabetes & Hypertension": All African Singers and Musical Artists are invited to create and share a SONG with the aim to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.
Submission deadline: 30th October 2025.
Entries for the above awards can be submitted to us at:
submit@merck-foundation.com
For information on the above awards, please visit our website:
www.merck-foundation.com
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https://www.merck-foundation.com/MF_StoreRedirection
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