Q: “Merck More than a Mother” campaign is a
great initiative to empower an unprivileged category of women in Africa, women
who suffer infertility. How did you get this idea, as we know this is the first
time for a campaign to address this issue this way?
A : You are right , this is a historic
campaign , I have visited African villages and rural areas for other program I
have created for Africa called Merck capacity advancement program where we
raise awareness about Diabetes, hypertension and cancer , I spoke to many women
during these awareness campaigns. One of those women shared with me her
devastating story of suffering stigma, abuse and isolation due to her
infertility. This day I decided to create a campaign to change this negative
mindset “Merck more than a Mother” born this moment. I spent a month preparation
, planning and creating materials , I couldn’t sleep properly till it get
approved by Belen Garijo, The CEO of Merck Healthcare whom was full of passion
to make it happen, and we start executing.
Q;Why do you think it is important to empower
those women?
A2: The infertile women in Africa have been
neglected, mistreated and discriminated because they cannot bear a child. This
is not right and has to change.
The campaign will empower those infertile
women in Africa through improving access to information, awareness, health and
change of mindset.
This campaign is very important since one
couple every four are infertile in Africa, high percentage compared to the
developed countries and 85% of those infertility cases can be preventable since
it is a result of untreated infectious diseases, such as STDs, Child marriage,
Female genital mutation, unsafe abortion or delivery. And women are
overwhelmingly blamed for infertility and discriminated, abused and mistreated
by her husband, family and community because of infertility.
Although 50% of infertility due to male
factor, but men do not want to admit or share this responsibility.
Q :Why do you believe that “Merck more than a
Mother” is a unique campaign and what makes it successful in your opinion, as
we see in social media you have thousands of people from all sort of life form
all over the world following you, all sharing their experience and
insights trying to make a difference.
A: As I mentioned before: This
campaign is very close to my heart as an African woman and as a
pharmacist, and very important for Merck, the world leader in Fertility
management, but most importantly it is very critical for Africa, it is for the
first time someone talk and discuss openly this issue that affect those
childless women and how they were and still are abused , mistreated and
discriminated by their husbands , families and communities , it is sad ,
knowing this facts , I knew we must do something about it , it is not a
matter of choice anymore , it is our duty and responsibility.
This campaign was successful and already made
and will make a difference because it covers most, if not all, of the
relevant angles of the infertility in the continent, such as :Create a culture
shift to respect and appreciate the infertile women in Africa
Raise awareness about infertility prevention
and management and male infertility by integrating it into healthcare
infrastructure such as HIV, maternal health and mother and child programs. Education
and training for African embryologists since lack of trained and skilled staff
is a big challenge, and we have started our first training for African
embryologists to improve access to effective and safe fertility care in the
continent.
Defining ART policies to improve access to
regulated fertility care.
Building advocacy and open dialogue with
governments, policy makers, parliaments, healthcare providers and media to
define interventions to reduce the social suffering and improve access to
regulated, effective and safe fertility care in Africa.
Empowering infertile women through access to
awareness, health and change of mindset and empower women who cannot be
pregnant anymore through starting a small business for them to build their
independent and happy lives through “Empowering Berna“ Initiative.
Q: where did you start Merck more than
a Mother campaign and how was it received by all relevant stakeholders?
A4: We have started the campaign, in Kenya,
Uganda and we had kicked off Pan African panels in New York to mark CSW 60,
Egypt and Finland at European Society of Human reproductive and embryology. As
you can see from the photos , ministers of health and gender, senators,
parliament members, academia, African association , healthcare providers,
all welcomed the campaign and showed their commitments and they started
already with Merck implementing the campaign specially the two important
projects we have created : Merck Africa embryology Training” and “ Empowering
Berna”
We are invited to present the campaign at the
International Federation of Fertility Societies- IFFS in Delhi, India on 23rd
of September and we will kick off the Merck more than a mother campaign in
Nigeria on the 27th of September in partnership with Africa
fertility Society, Nigerian parliament and Federal ministry of Health of
Nigeria.
Q: Can you tell us more about those two
projects?
A: Through “Merck more than a Mother” we have
started two important projects
First one was the Africa embryology training
program which is very important for improving access to regulated fertility
care in the continent, I have started this program because as you may know
there is no African embryologists in many of sub- Saharan African Countries,
hence it was very critical to establish this platform so we can reduce the cost
of IVF and also it is quality.
The second one called “Empowering Berna”
where we are going to help infertile women who cannot have children anymore to
start their own independent, happier lives.
I believe It’s very important to empower
infertile women through improving access to awareness, health and change of
negative mindset so they can bear children as part of their human rights. In
case they can no longer be treated, Empowering Berna project will
contribute towards empowering and training them to establish their own small
business so that they can be independent and re-build their own lives.
A woman is more than a Mother, Empowering Berna initiative
will prove this every day. www.merckmorethanamother.com ,
Watc some stories of Empowering Berna:
Q; can you tell us what are the success
stories of Merck more than a Mother campaign?
A: There are many success stories in very
short time, for me the most important success stories is watching those
Infertile women’s transformation after meeting Merck more than a Mother, through
empowering Berna project, they have been programed all their lives to be “Baby
making machine, this was their only purpose in life, when they failed to
achieved it, they lost hope in life and they were just waiting to die.
Through empowering Berna project, their lives
have transformed in no time, from hopeless, helpless women to stronger women,
productive member in society full of pride and self-confidence, they simply
became more than a mother.
When I get to know those un-privileged women
in Africa, who suffered the stigma, discrimination and abuse and who cannot
have children anymore.
I knew that I have to be part of a solution,
a project to help them to re- build their shattered lives, stand back on their
own feet.
Empowering them economically is the only
solution to lead their own independent happy lives and earn back the respect
and acknowledgment of their communities. We will do it.
I am determined to find them everywhere in
Africa and help them and this will be my purpose in life.
There are also other
success stories that I find very important, such as the changes that happened
that will help infertile women in the future so they have better access to
information, awareness, fertility care and change of mindset; the
approval of the first Bill of ART in Kenya by Kenyan parliament, we supported
this and I am happy that it is finally happened.
In Uganda the ART guidelines is under
Development by Minister of State of Health, Hon. Sarah Opendi who is Merck more
than a Mother Ambassador for Uganda and will be out soon.
There is a very interesting law that will be
enforced by minister of Land, Housing and urban development of Uganda, Hon.
Betty Amongi, that women will be able to inherit from their blood family and
not from only their husbands’ families like it used to happen in Uganda, this
law enforcement will empower women to choose when to marry and have children
and it will help empowering infertile women since they will not end up with
nothing if they couldn’t have children , this is a great achievement.
Now during our latest panel the senator,
Chairman Committee on Health Nigeria, Dr Lanre Tejuosho, who has been appointed
as Merck Mote than a mother ambassador in Nigeria, has committed to approve a
similar bill for Nigeria too before the kick off in September, this is a
success story.
I am sure that more and more success stories
will happen in the future.
A: Before we kickoff the campaign in Nigeria,
we will work on the preparation period of building advocacy messages to raise
awareness about the infertility prevention, male infertility and sensitize the
community to change the culture of discriminating and disrespecting infertile
women.
We will also partner with Senate Committee on
Health and Federal Ministry of Health, Africa Fertility Society to execute our
empowering Berna Project, by allocating the women who needs support and reach
out to them across the country.
Above all, we will support
government to define their ART bill to regulate fertility care in the country.
Moreover, we will help integrate awareness
messages about infertility prevention and male infertility in our healthcare
system.
And will partner with Africa Fertility
Society to provide training for young Nigerian embryologists to build fertility
care capacity in Nigeria,
What I like about this campaign, it is
serious, structured, great strategy and relevant achievable solutions, not only
talk but serious actions, I never imagine in just short time we have already
full pledged campaign in the most populated country In Africa, we are
grateful for the support and the commitment of our partners in Nigeria. Without
them we will never achieve these results.
Please join the
conversation and let your voice be heard.
Join the campaign - Together we create a culture shift
Rasha Kelej, Chief Social Officer, Merck Healthcare adds:
“I would like to ask you to take a moment and watch the campaign’s videos and
TV interviews and join the “Merck More than a Mother” social media campaign to
reduce stigma, create awareness and define interventions to improve access to
better fertility care in Africa”.
”Let your voice be heard on” Kelej added.
For more information on the Merck More than a Mother
initiative please visit www.merckmorethanamother.com
Q: we heard that you go all over African
rural areas by yourself and you do this frequently. How can you do all this?
Yes, I do this exactly, it is part of my
life, you have to remember I am African…..
But most importantly I totally believe that
the only way to know Africa’s challenges and solutions and create and implement
successful programs. Is to get in touch with its communities.
If you do not be in touch with the
grassroots, knowing Africa from the internet in your office, is never the same
and will never help to leave a significant impact like we do.
For me, African villages and rural area is
the destination of inspiration, I have to meet community members speak with
them, understand them and see how they live and what they need first hand and
not second hand and third hand.
I
take this job seriously and I am determined to make a huge difference.
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