First Lady Sajida Mohamed has expressed her interest in working with the Merck Foundation to improve the Maldives’ healthcare sector. She made the remark in a social media post on her recent visit to Dubai to attend the 7th Edition of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative Summit (MFFLI), held from 18 to 19 June.
In her post, the First Lady said she was honoured to have attended the event as Guest of Honour. She thanked the Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, Professor Dr Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp and Merck Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer Senator Dr Rasha Kelej for extending the invitation, their warm welcome and generous hospitality during the visit.
Madam Sajida also expressed her desire to continue collaborating with the Merck Foundation to overcome existing social issues, especially in the health sector.
During her visit, the First Lady addressed at both the inaugural session as well as the committee meeting of the MFFLI.nIn her remarks, Madam Sajidha highlighted the Maldives’ ongoing efforts to improve access to affordable, and high-quality healthcare in the the Maldives. She also expressed interest in establishing long-term technical collaborations to improve healthcare services in the country.
In her remarks, the First Lady also emphasised the importance of increasing community awareness, improving cancer screening and mental health services, as well as promoting women-led initiatives in the health sector.
This year’s ummit brought together 14 First Ladies from Africa and Asia. Discussions focused on prevalent social issues, including combating the stigma surrounding infertility, promoting girls’ education, empowering women, and strengthening healthcare capacities in areas facing specialist shortages.