Merck Foundation to train Dakar health media

Kelej

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, will organize a Merck Health Media Training on October 31, 2018 at Le Centre International de conferences Abdou DIOUF (CICAD) in Dakar, Senegal from 11:00 to 17:30.

The training, which is designed to break the stigma around infertility in Senegal and the rest of Africa, is a part of the Merck More than a Mother community awareness initiative and is being organized for the first time in Senegal for the media representatives.

“I am delighted to initiate this important training session as I strongly believe that the media is significant to influence our society to create a cultural shift. It has the capacity and ability to break the stigma around infertility in the community,” explained Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO, Merck Foundation and President, Merck More than a Mother.

The training will be addressed by stalwarts of the media and top infertility experts. It will also provide a great opportunity for the journalists to meet the experts and also to network with each other and work as a unit to eradicate the stigma around infertility in Senegal and rest of Africa. It will be attended by journalists working for print, TV, radio and online media.

“The Merck Health Media Training program will focus on the international standards and media ethics for reporting sensitive issues like infertility in Africa. It is designed to benefit the journalists in understanding the infertility issues in African communities and to learn the best media practices to cover such issues,” Kelej added.

Journalists from Dakar can apply to be part of the Merck Health Media Training through this link: www.Merck-Foundation.com/Merck_health_media_training_form.

MF will also announce the Call for Application for Merck More than a Mother Media Recognition Awards 2018 from Senegal and the rest of Africa.

The awards were launched in 2017 with the aim of emphasizing the role of the media in enhancing the public engagement and understanding of infertility stigma and the need to change its social perception in African communities.

The Merck Health Media Training is being organized on the sidelines of the fifth edition of Merck Africa Asia Lumniary being organized in Dakar on the 30th and 31st of October 2018, under the patronage of the President, Senegal, H.E. Macky Sall, and in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Senegal.

It will be attended by more than 450 healthcare providers, policy makers, academia and researchers from over 45 English and French speaking African and Asian countries. The objective is to improve disease management, early detection and prevention, build healthcare and scientific research capacity and improve access to innovative and equitable healthcare solutions across the continent.

MF conducted its First Health Media Training for English speaking media representatives earlier this year in Nairobi. The program saw attendance from journalists from over 200 journalists from various African countries like Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Gambia, Namibia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Ethiopia, Botswana, Liberia, Cameroon, Burundi, Malawi, Mauritius, Zambia and Sierra Leona.

MF will also organize a similar training program for media representatives from French speaking countries in Mauritius in December 2018.