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Merck Foundation Chief Executive Officer (CEO) announce The Gambia First Lady Partnership Journey from 2017 to 2023

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Merck Foundation

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, recently conducted their annual conference, the 9th Edition of “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary”

BANJUL, Gambia, March 11, 2023/APO Group/ — 

Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com) CEO and The Gambia First Lady meet during 9th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2022 to approve their future strategy and announce their impact report and call for action to build healthcare capacity and empower women & girls in The Gambia. Merck Foundation is transforming the Patient care landscape and making history together with The Gambia First lady and other partners in Africa, Asia, and beyond. Watch the overview of the 2-day Hybrid 9th Edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2022 here: https://apo-opa.info/3TbX0kf

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, recently conducted their annual conference, the 9th Edition of “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary”. The conference was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of both of Executive Board of E.Merck KG and Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and Chairperson of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, and H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of the Republic of The Gambia & Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother” along with African First Ladies of Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Angola and Central Africa.

H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of The Gambia & Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother”. She is our long-term partner since 2017. We had a long meeting during 9th edition of our Luminary to discuss our joint programs and strategy and report its impact. I am proud to share that together we have provided 34 scholarships to young Gambian doctors in many critical and underserved specialties including Fertility & Embryology, Oncology, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Sexual & Reproductive Medicine, Respiratory Medicine and Acute Medicine. Together, we are making history in The Gambia by providing training to first specialists in many fields such as Oncology, Respiratory, Fertility, Embryology, Reproductive Care, Diabetes, Endocrinology and more.”

H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of The Gambia & Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother” emphasized, “Our partnership journey is growing from strength to strength as we have achieved many important and significant milestones since 2017, when I hosted Merck Foundation CEO and together, we launched the programs in my country. Together we have been able to provide 34 medical scholarships to our young doctors. We consider it to be a very high number for our country and will contribute significantly to The Gambia’s health security and its economic and social development.

Together we are also working on various initiatives to raise awareness about critical social and health issues like Breaking Infertility Stigma, supporting Girl Education, Stopping GBV, Ending Child Marriage & FGM, diabetes & hypertension awareness. We have launched together 7 children’s storybooks on these issues to sensitize them from young ages. Furthermore, we have also launched awards of best media, song, film and fashion designs to encourage our journalists and artists to raise awareness on these important topics”.

Watch partnership journey of Merck Foundation with The Gambia First Lady: https://apo-opa.info/3ZRFC6M

Watch the video of The First Lady of The Gambia & Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother” during the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2022 here: https://apo-opa.info/3ZIAPou

On day 2 of the Luminary, Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative- MFFLI committee meeting was also conducted between The First Ladies and Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO. During the MFFLI committee meeting, the future strategy of 2023 was discussed and the impact of their partnership programs since 2017, were announced.  

“I personally enjoyed our reading session of Children’s storybooks created by Merck Foundation, ‘Jackline’s Rescue’ – to focus on the importance of Girl Education and highlight the immoral practices of society including child marriage & dowry system; and ‘A Ride Into The Future’ – to emphasize on the importance of empowering girls through education. It was my favorite part of MFFLI committee, I hope we keep doing this every year”, Senator Rasha Kelej emphasized.

Watch the video of MFFLI committee meeting: https://apo-opa.info/3T9pRph  

During the Luminary, an important one to one meeting between The First Lady of The Gambia and Merck Foundation CEO, Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej was held to discuss the impact of on-going programs and define strategies to further build healthcare and media capacity in The Gambia.

Watch the video of Merck Foundation CEO, Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej receiving The Gambia First Lady, H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW: https://apo-opa.info/3mMd14s  

Together with The Gambia First Lady, Merck Foundation has made history by providing 34 scholarships so far, out of which 19 scholarships have been provided for Fertility Training and one year Post Graduate Diploma, two-year Master degree in Sexual and Reproductive Medicine, to be the first specialists in The Gambia.

Moreover, 5 scholarships have been provided for Diabetes specialty training, 2 scholarships for the Oncology Fellowship program, 7 scholarships for One Year PG Diploma and two-year Master degree in Acute Medicine and Respiratory Medicine and also 1 scholarship for Two years PG Diploma in Neonatal Medicine, to also be the first specialists in their country.

“Merck Foundation has always believed in the importance of building healthcare capacity and has been working towards this since 2012. We will continue to provide medical training to Gambian doctors in various medical specialties in partnership with the First Lady of The Gambia“, assured Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej.

Merck Foundation also announced the Call for applications for their 8 important awards in partnership with The First Lady of The Gambia

Merck Foundation in partnership with The Gambia First Lady has also initiated their program “Educating Linda”, to support the education of 20 underprivileged but brilliant schoolgirls by providing scholarships till they graduate. Moreover, 3000 sets of essential school items were provided to Gambian school-going girls.

Moreover, Merck Foundation together with The First Lady of Gambia conducted their online Health Media Training and also celebrated the winners of the Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards. The training was conducted to emphasize on the important and critical role of media to sensitize the communities about the social and health issues such as: breaking infertility stigma, ending child marriage, supporting girl education and diabetes & hypertension prevention and early detection.

Merck Foundation also announced the Call for applications for their 8 important awards in partnership with The First Lady of The Gambia for Media, Musicians, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, students, and new potential talents in these fields.

Merck Foundation in partnership with The Gambia First Lady has also launched an empowering song to break the stigma around infertility in Africa and the rest of the world as part of ‘More than a Mother’ community awareness campaign. The song urges men to support their wives during the treatment journey of building a family and delivers an important message ‘Fertility is a Shared Responsibility’. It has been written and composed by Sunita, a young female artist from The Gambia.

Link to the song: https://apo-opa.info/3Fg2IMj

The 9th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2022 was streamed live on the social media handles of Merck Foundation (https://apo-opa.info/3Ykd3hH) and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej (https://apo-opa.info/3SfA0AF).

Link to the Facebook live steam of Inaugural Session of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary & African First Ladies High Level Panel: https://apo-opa.info/3J96Kay

Merck Foundation is transforming the Patient care landscape and making history together with its partners in Africa, Asia, and beyond, through:

• 1470 + Scholarships provided by Merck Foundation for doctors from 50 Countries in 32 critical and underserved medical specialties.  

Merck Foundation is also creating a culture shift and breaking the silence about a wide range of social and health issues in Africa and underserved communities through:

• 2200 + Media Persons from more than 50 countries trained to better raise Awareness about different social and health issues

• 8 Different Awards Launched annually for best media coverage, fashion designers, films, and songs

• Around 30 songs to address health and social issues by local singers across Africa

• 8 Children’s Storybooks in three languages – English, French, and Portuguese

• Pan African TV Program “Our Africa by Merck Foundation” addressing Social and Health Issues in Africa through “Fashion and ART with Purpose” Community

• 1000+ Girls from 15 African countries supported through scholarships or school items, annually.

• 9 Social Media Channels with more than 5 Million Followers.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation.

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Africa Launches the First Pan-African Pact for Insurance Inclusion

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June 23, 2026

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400 decision-makers gathered in Cotonou to accelerate access to insurance and contribute to doubling insurance penetration by 2040

DAKAR, Senegal, June 23, 2026/APO Group/ –Faced with a major paradox representing nearly 19% of the world’s population while accounting for less than 1% of global insurance premiums African insurance stakeholders are mobilizing.

 

From July 6 to 8, 2026, the Federation of African National Insurance Companies (FANAF) will organize the General Assembly on Insurance for All at the Sofitel Hotel in Cotonou, Benin, a major pan-African gathering dedicated to inclusive insurance.

The event will bring together nearly 400 African decision-makers from governments, regulatory and supervisory authorities, insurance and reinsurance companies, financial institutions, development banks, technical and financial partners, as well as professional organizations from across the continent.

The ambition is clear: to foster a shared vision and concrete commitments aimed at accelerating access to insurance for African populations while strengthening the sector’s contribution to the continent’s economic and social development priorities.

The discussions will culminate in the adoption of the Pan-African Pact for Insurance Inclusion and a 2026–2030 Strategic Action Plan, designed to structure collective action around an ambitious objective: contributing to the doubling of insurance penetration across the FANAF region by 2040.

An Economic, Social and Development Imperative

Within the CIMA zone, insurance penetration remains below 1% of GDP, compared to more than 6% globally.

As a result, millions of households, farmers, entrepreneurs, SMEs and informal sector actors remain deprived of essential protection mechanisms against health, climate, economic and social risks.

For FANAF, this reality now constitutes a major development challenge.

Africa cannot build sustainable growth without strengthening protection mechanisms for its populations, businesses and investments

“Africa cannot build sustainable growth without strengthening protection mechanisms for its populations, businesses and investments. The Cotonou General Assembly must mark the starting point of a new continental ambition for African insurance and its role in the continent’s economic transformation,” said Mamadou Koné, President of FANAF.

Beyond Insurance: A Driver of Continental Transformation

For FANAF, insurance is no longer merely a risk coverage mechanism. It is also a strategic lever for economic resilience, savings mobilization, investment security, SME financing, support for climate transitions and the strengthening of financial inclusion.

Through this General Assembly, FANAF seeks to reposition insurance as a key stakeholder in Africa’s economic, social and financial transformation.

A Pact to Accelerate Action

The conclusions of the General Assembly will lead to the adoption of the Pan-African Pact for Insurance Inclusion, a reference framework intended to mobilize governments, regulators, market players, financial institutions and development partners around shared objectives.

The Pact will be accompanied by a 2026–2030 Strategic Action Plan defining priority intervention areas, coordination mechanisms and monitoring arrangements for the commitments undertaken.

A broad mobilization of public, private and financial partners will support its implementation in order to translate commitments into tangible results for African populations and economies.

Cotonou 2026: Building a Shared Vision

Beyond the insurance sector, the General Assembly aims to create an unprecedented platform for dialogue between governments, regulators, investors, financial institutions, technical partners and market actors in order to identify the levers needed to accelerate insurance inclusion across the continent.

Holding this event in Benin reflects the country’s broader economic and financial transformation momentum and illustrates the collective determination of African stakeholders to develop solutions tailored to the continent’s realities.

Through this initiative, FANAF intends to make Cotonou 2026 a defining moment for the future of African insurance and the starting point of a lasting continental mobilization in favor of insurance inclusion.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Fédération des Sociétés d’Assurances de Droit National Africaines (FANAF).

 

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Flat6Labs and International Finance Corporation (IFC) Launch StartAlgeria, a Capacity-Building Program Designed to Empower the Organizations Progressing Algeria’s Startup Ecosystem

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June 23, 2026

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StartAlgeria comes at a key moment for Algeria’s entrepreneurship landscape, shifting the focus toward improving how the ESOs operate by providing them with international best practices

ALGIERS, Algeria, June 23, 2026/APO Group/ –Flat6Labs (www.Flat6Labs.com) and IFC in collaboration with the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Startups and Micro-Enterprises are launching StartAlgeria, a capacity-building program that puts Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) at the forefront of Algeria’s ecosystem future. The program is designed to equip Algerian ESOs reinforcing pre-seed and seed-stage startups with the expertise, frameworks, and networks needed to contribute to a stronger, more competitive entrepreneurship ecosystem in Algeria and expand into global markets.

 

StartAlgeria comes at a key moment for Algeria’s entrepreneurship landscape, shifting the focus toward improving how the ESOs operate by providing them with international best practices adapted to each organization’s needs, a community-driven approach that focuses on peer learning, and facilitating connections with investors, policymakers, and key stakeholders.

Algeria’s entrepreneurial community is among the most dynamic and vibrant in the region, and the potential is not just real, it is ready to scale

StartAlgeria will pilot a first cohort focusing on incubators in the capital, Algiers. Following a call for application, the selected ESOs will go through a structured program comprising workshops and masterclasses covering key areas such as startup selection, program design and delivery, and investment readiness. In addition to the core program, participating ESOs will benefit from 6months of post-program mentorship, focusing on areas such as fundraising strategy, partnership development, financial sustainability, and program improvement. This sustained engagement’s goal is to provide a lasting impact in how Algerian ESOs operate and what they’re able to offer the startups they champion.

Yehia Houry, CEO of Flat6Labs, shares “Algeria’s startup ecosystem is demonstrating remarkable potential and a rapidly growing level of maturity, driven by an ambitious new generation of founders, increasing institutional support, and a strong national commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship. The opportunity today lies in further empowering entrepreneurship support organizations to match this momentum by strengthening their ability to identify and nurture high-potential startups, deliver impactful and results-driven programs, and create stronger connections between entrepreneurs and sources of capital. With the right support structures in place, Algeria is well positioned to become one of the leading innovation hubs in the region.”

“Algeria’s entrepreneurial community is among the most dynamic and vibrant in the region, and the potential is not just real, it is ready to scale. Through StartAlgeria, we are committed to ensuring that the organizations standing behind founders are equipped with the tools, frameworks, and expertise to take them from early ideas to investment-ready ventures. This program is a direct expression of IFC’s long-term confidence in Algeria’s private sector and in the ecosystem’s capacity to produce the next generation of high-impact companies.” underscored Cemile Hacibeyoglu Ceren, WBG Resident Representative in Algeria.

“The launch of StartAlgeria marks an important step in reinforcing Algeria’s startup support ecosystem. By strengthening the capabilities of Entrepreneur Support Organizations, we are investing in the long-term growth, resilience, and international competitiveness of Algerian startups. This initiative reflects our shared ambition to build a dynamic innovation-driven economy and create new opportunities for entrepreneurs across the country,” said H.E Mr. Noureddine Ouadah, Minister of Knowledge Economy, Startups and Micro-Enterprises.

This IFC program is implemented in partnership with the Government of the Netherlands.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Flat6Labs.

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Hong Kong unlocks new opportunities with Central Asia

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June 23, 2026

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HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 June 2026 – Led by Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), John Lee, a high-level delegation visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan (May 31 – June 5) is already paying dividends, forging fresh opportunities to deepen ties between Central Asia, Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland.

The business delegation comprised over 70 representatives from Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises of various sectors.

During the visit, 96 bilateral memoranda of understanding and agreements were reached, including a total of 15 co-operation documents at the government level between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan respectively.

“The examples of agreements and co-operation are just so abundant that they range from the service sector to heavy industries such as mining and infrastructure development,” Mr Lee said. “I think the sky is the limit.”

The multiple outcomes achieved during the trip demonstrate Hong Kong’s role as a functional platform for the Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative, as the city actively plays its roles as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” to promote broader and deeper co-operation between the two places and establish a hub-to-hub co-operation model.

“Kazakhstan is an important commercial and logistics hub connecting China and Europe. It is also the place where the Belt and Road Initiative was first proposed, and is Hong Kong’s largest trading partner in Central Asia. There are broad prospects for further co-operation,” Mr Lee said, adding that a lot of B&R projects are also being pursued in Uzbekistan.

“For example, Uzbekistan sits in the heart of the corridor of Asia and Europe, so logistical development, railway development, and also how we can complement and supplement each other in cargo handling will be an area for a very wide range of co-operation.”

The Chief Executive also encouraged companies in Central Asia to leverage Hong Kong’s advantages under the “one country, two systems” principle.

“Under this unique principle, Hong Kong has its own economic, social, legal, legislative and judicial systems. We are the only common law jurisdiction in China. We have our own currency, with no capital or foreign exchange controls. We are, as well, a separate customs territory,” Mr Lee said.

Building on the positive outcomes from the delegation’s mission to Central Asia, Mr Lee welcomed the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Kanat Bozumbayev, to Hong Kong (June 10) and they both attended the Alatau City Investment Round Table (June 11).

Speaking at the event, Mr Lee said Hong Kong could contribute to the future success of Kazakhstan’s innovative, high-tech Alatau City in three concrete ways: as a gateway to global capital; a gateway to the Chinese Mainland and the Greater Bay Area; and as a partner in talent and technology.

“We share a development vision with Alatau City and Kazakhstan,” Mr Lee said, “Today, right here, right now, is a golden opportunity to bring our two economies closer together.”

He looked forward to Hong Kong and Kazakhstan achieving complementary advantages and co-ordinated development across different sectors and welcomed enterprises in Kazakhstan to make good use of Hong Kong’s premier financial and innovation and technology platforms, as well as its world-leading professional services, to explore more business opportunities.

 

 

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