Merck joined hands with UNESCO, African Union, Ethiopia Ministry of Health, University of Cambridge, Institute Pasteur International to empower women in research, build research capacity in Francophone and Anglophone Africa to improve women health in the continent. Infectious Diseases and Women Health and empowering Women in Research will be the focus of the 2nd UNESCO-Merck Africa Research Summit –MARS 2016 to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 28-29 November, 2016. The UNESCO-MARS 2016 will be introduced by Dr. Rasha Kelej, Chief Social Officer, Merck Healthcare and Mr. Getchaw Engida, Deputy Director-General, UNESCO; and officially inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of the Executive Board and Family Board of E.Merck KG; Hon. Prof. Yifru Berhane, Minister for Health, Ethiopia; and Hon. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopia. Introduction by:
“UNESCO–MARS 2016 has attracted 15 African ministers of Health; Education; Science & Technology; and Gender & Social Development to participate in two ministerial high level panels on: ‘Defining Interventions to Advance Research Capacity and Empower Women in Research to Improve Women Health in Africa’ and ‘Research and Policy Making Gap in Africa – Challenges and Opportunities – Africa as a New International Hub for Research Excellence and Scientific Innovation,” emphasized Dr. Rasha Kelej, Chief Social Officer, Merck Healthcare. “The theme of the Summit “Infectious Diseases and Women Health” is informed by the fact that for many infectious diseases, women are at higher risk and have a more severe course of illness than men for many reasons including biological differences, social inequities, and restrictive cultural norms. Therefore, efforts to recognize and reduce health disparities among women have particular relevance for global health,” Dr. Rasha Kelej emphasized. “The Summit will focus on the relation between infectious diseases and cancer in women, untreated infectious diseases and the high prevalence of infertility in Africa,” Dr. Rasha Kelej added. It will also aim to identifying the scientific research priorities for evolving health needs to address infectious diseases such as; Malaria, Schistosomiasis and Zika in relation to women heath. On the second day of UNESCO- MARS 2016, Merck on-line research community (www.merck-cap.com) will launched to enable young researchers to exchange experience and knowledge with their peers and with established researchers in Africa and beyond. The first UNESCO-Merck Africa Research Summit 2015 was successfully organized and held in Geneva, Switzerland in October 2015. The Summit’s aim was to address the vital role of scientific research in the improvement and sustainable development of Africa’s population health, with specific emphasis on emergent infectious diseases such as Ebola. UNESCO-MARS awardees and other participants during the 2015 Summit in Geneva, Switzerland Key African Ministers to attend Summit to participate in ministerial panels This year’s Summit has attracted 15 African ministers of Health; Education; Science and Technology; Gender and Social Development to participate in two ministerial high level panels. The first ministerial high level panel that will focus on ‘Defining Interventions to Advance Research Capacity and Empower Women in Research to Improve Women Health in Africa,’ will involve: Hon. Sarah Opendi, Minister of State for Health, Uganda; Hon. Idi Illiassou Mainassara, Minister of Public Health, Niger; Hon. Dr. Ashraf ElShihy, Minister of Higher Education and State for Scientific Research, Egypt; Hon. Julia Duncan Cassell, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Development, Liberia; Hon. Filiga Michel Sawadogo, Minister of Education & Science, Burkina Faso; Hon. Jesús Engonga Ndong, Minister of Education & Science, Equatorial Guinea and Prof. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of Executive Board and Family Board of E.Merck KG. Ministerial Panel 1 - Defining Interventions to Advance Research Capacity and Empower Women in Research and Improve Women Health in Africa The second ministerial panel on ‘Research and Policy Making Gap in Africa – Challenges and Opportunities – Africa as a New International Hub for Research Excellence and Scientific Information will include: Hon. Assane Ngueadoum, Minister of Health, Chad; Hon. Prof. Yifru Berhane, Minister of Health, Ethiopia; Hon. Zuliatu Cooper, Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation, Sierra Leone; Hon. Octave Nicoué Broohm, Minister of Education, Togo; Hon. Dr. João Sebastião Teta, Secretary of State, Angola; and Hon. Léon N'zouba, Minister of Health, Gabon. Ministerial Panel 2 – Research and policy making gap in Africa – challenges and opportunities – Africa as a new international hub for research excellence and Scientific Innovation The Summit will also be addressed by HRH Princess Nisreen El-Hashemite, the Founder of the World Women Health and Development Forum who will speak on the 'Role of Women in Life Science and Medical Research in addressing SDGs'. Empowering Women in Research Of the more than 200 researchers attending the Summit 60% of them are women. This is contributing to one of the aims of UNESCO-MARS to empower women who are underrepresented in Africa. “In addition, the UNESCO-MARS 2016 will launch for the first time the ‘Best African Woman Research Awards' to recognize the outstanding contribution of African women researchers and scientists with the aim of promoting women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics),” Rasha Kelej emphasized. Summit addressing Francophone Africa for the first time This is the first time that the UNESCO-MARS summit is addressing Francophone Africa. It has attracted over 200 researchers from over 35 English and French speaking countries. These include researchers from Francophone countries such as Senegal, Rwanda, Gabon, Benin, Congo, Cameroon, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Niger, Burundi and Anglophone countries such as Namibia, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Liberia, Botswana and Ethiopia. The 2nd UNESCO MARS Summit is a unique opportunity for Africa's young and talented scientists to share their research output and findings with the top echelon of scientists from Africa and abroad. It is also an opportunity for networking and career development. The Summit will present a platform where young scientists will be able to discuss the enabling environment for better research among others.
A central gallery will be provided to the attending researchers to display, demonstrate and discuss participants research (posters and abstracts) followed by poster sessions. The main objectives of the UNESCO MARS 2016 Summit are:
During the Summit, Young African Researchers who have submitted outstanding abstracts will be recognised. The first three Young African Researchers will be eligible for a number of research awards, while a further research award will be dedicated for the ‘Best African Women Researchers’. During the 2015 Summit, several participants were recognized and awarded for excellence in research, in which, two scientists were awarded six-month fellowships in Merck's Biotechnology R&D hub in Germany. The first award of a six month fellowship at the Merck R&D hub was granted to Benard Kulohoma from the University of Nairobi, Kenya and Rebecca Chukwuanukwu from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria. Both of them have actively contributed towards the preparation of the 2ndUNESCO MARS 2016. Rebecca Chukwuanukwu from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria Benard Kulohoma, the 2015 first award winner from Kenya (center) with Dr. Stefan Oschmann, CEO, Merck and Prof. George Godia, the UNESCO Ambassador for Kenya Join the conversation on building research capacity in Africa through UNESCO-MARS at: For more information on the UNESCO-MARS 2016 Summit go to: |