NIGER TIMES INFO

We would like to congratulate you on being one of most influential 100 people on Africa. Can you tell us what was the reason of selecting you?

I am very proud to be listed among the 100 most Influential Africans of 2019. This recognition is very important for me and for Merck foundation as it acknowledges my efforts, my team’ s efforts for empowering infertile women and extensively working on eliminating stigma associated with infertility through our historic campaign “Merck More Than a Mother”, that aims to empower infertile women through access to information, education and change of mind-sets. 

Through this movement, we have succeeded to initiate a cultural shift to de-stigmatize infertility on all levels: By improving awareness, training local experts in the fields of fertility care and media, building advocacy in cooperation with African First Ladies and women leaders and by supporting childless women in starting their own small businesses. It’s all about giving every woman the respect and the help she deserves to live a fulfilling life, with or without a child.

Merck Foundation has partnered with The First Lady of Niger since 2017, she is the Ambassador of Merck More than a Mother to empower infertile women in Niger. Can you tell us more about your programs together and did you do anything together to fight coronavirus in the country?

We have been working very closely with The First Lady of Niger, H.E. Madam AÏSSATA ISSOUFOU MAHAMADOU, also the Ambassador of Merck More Than a Mother since 2017. We have a come a long way since then. Together Her Excellency and Ministries of Health, Education, Information & Communication we have been working to break the infertility stigma in the country and to build equitable and quality healthcare capacity.

We have enrolled many infertile women in our “Empowering Berna” project to set up small businesses for them and train them to be able to generate steady monthly income. We are fully committed to support more childless women through Merck More Than a Mother campaign.

I am very proud to tell you that as part of the ‘Merck More Than a Mother’ campaign, Merck Foundation made history by providing fertility care training to 3 candidates, who were the first ever fertility care experts in the country.

Moreover, Merck Foundation has trained 3 candidates in Oncology speciality and one more candidate is currently undergoing the training. Also, 3 candidates have completed the Master course in Diabetes Management, as a part of Merck Foundation Diabetes Blue Points Project.

We are committed to provide training to more doctors from Niger in the fields of fertility, cancer and diabetes care.

Moreover, we conducted the Health Media Training in Niger which was attended by journalists working for Print, TV, Radio and Online media and journalism students to benefit them in understanding the infertility issues in African communities and to learn the best media practices to cover such issues.

As a part of our ‘Educating Linda’ project in partnership with The Niger First Lady, we supported the education of young girls so as to help them to achieve their dreams.

Coming to the current scenario, we understand that the Coronavirus lockdown has affected the daily workers and women very badly. We have partnered with H.E. AÏSSATA ISSOUFOU MAHAMADOU, The First Lady of Niger to support them by donating food items to them.

Also, we have introduced ‘Stay at Home’ Media Recognition Awards in partnership with Niger First Lady for the journalists of to raise awareness on how to Stay Safe and keep Physically and Mentally Healthy during Coronavirus lockdown.

The Coronavirus lockdown has impacted people across nations in different ways. What are you doing about it in other countries?

As mentioned earlier, the lockdown to fight coronavirus has hit most casual and daily workers very hard. Therefore, Merck Foundation decided to support African governments strategy to save the people's living and livelihood with the aim to integrate it into the COVID-19 combat strategy. Apart from Niger, we are making donations in Egypt, Ghana, DRC Congo, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Liberia to support up to 1000 poor families in each of the country with the aim to save the livelihood of thousands of families as part of “Separated but Connected” Merck Foundation Initiative. For this, we have also partnered with The First Ladies of Ghana, DRC Congo, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Liberia.

Our special focus is on women in Africa, as in the times of Coronavirus as the pandemic has led to a horrifying increase in violence against women. Women and girls are under higher risk of domestic violence due to increased tensions in the household. Many of these women are currently trapped with their abusers, struggling to access any support service, they are lonely and suffering in silence. Therefore, Merck Foundation in partnership with African First Ladies is supporting casual workers with special focus on women as part of our signature campaign “Merck More than a Mother”.

Moreover, we have introduced ‘Stay at Home’ Media Recognition Awards in partnership with African First Ladies of Ghana, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Malawi, Namibia, Niger, Guinea Conakry, Burundi, Central African Republic (C.A.R.), Chad, Zimbabwe, Zambia, The Gambia, Liberia and Congo Brazzaville, Angola, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria to raise awareness on how to Stay Safe and keep Physically and Mentally Healthy during Coronavirus lockdown and to encourage media to sensitize our communities to support health workers who are at the forefront of COVID-19 response - providing high quality, respectful treatment and care, it will also enhance their great efforts in leading community dialogue to address fears and questions.

Lastly, we have also launched a children storybook called ‘Making the right Choice’ in partnership with African First Ladies to create awareness about coronavirus and the ways to be safe from it and to also teach them the importance of honesty, loyalty and hard work.

Tell us about your partnership with African First Ladies and the work you have been doing under the Merck More Than a Mother Campaign.

I am very proud that First Ladies of 18 Countries including Botswana, Burundi, CAR, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, DR Congo, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Conakry, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The African First Ladies have partnered with Merck Foundation to lead and execute the initiatives in their respective countries as Merck More Than a Mother Ambassadors to empower infertile women and break the stigma around infertility. This speaks volume about the work we are doing.

As a part of Merck More Than a Mother, we been providing hands-on practical training to candidates from Africa and Asia to establish a platform of Fertility and Embryology specialist. So far, Merck Foundation has provided for more than 180+ candidates, clinical and practical training for fertility specialists and embryologists in more than 35 countries across Africa and Asia such as: Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, CAR, Cote D'IVOIRE, DRC, Congo Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Malaysia, Liberia, Mali, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Niger, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, The Gambia, Togo, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia & Zimbabwe.

Also, Merck Foundation has also supported the establishment of the first ever Public IVF centres in Rwanda, Ethiopia and Uganda. 

It is very important to empower infertile women by providing treatment so they can bear children as part of their human rights. But for those who cannot be treated anymore, Merck More Than a Mother’s initiative ‘Empowering Berna’