Merck Foundation Chief Executive Officer Dr. Rasha Kelej has been named among the 100 Most Influential Africans 2025 by New African Magazine of the United Kingdom, recognising her leadership in transforming healthcare delivery and advancing the empowerment of women and girls across the continent.
Dr. Kelej shares the recognition with African heads of state including Angolan President João Lourenço, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Ghanaian President John Mahama, according to the publication’s annual special edition spotlighting leaders shaping Africa’s present and future.
This marks the seventh consecutive year that Dr. Kelej has been featured on the influential list, which highlights individuals from public service, business, technology, social impact, culture and sports whose work continues to drive change across Africa and beyond.
Speaking on the recognition, Dr. Kelej said she was honoured to be listed alongside Africa’s political leaders and change-makers, describing the acknowledgement as motivation to deepen her work in strengthening healthcare capacity, empowering women facing infertility, and supporting girl education across the continent.
Under her leadership, Merck Foundation has rolled out a series of flagship programmes aimed at improving access to quality and equitable healthcare. Central among these is the Foundation’s Scholarship Programme for Healthcare Providers, which has delivered 2,500 scholarships across 44 critical and underserved medical specialties to healthcare professionals from 52 countries. Many beneficiaries, the Foundation says, have become the first specialists in their respective countries.
Dr. Kelej also leads the “More Than a Mother” campaign, launched in 2015, which focuses on building fertility and reproductive healthcare capacity, breaking infertility stigma, raising awareness of infertility prevention and male infertility, and advancing girl education. Through the campaign, Merck Foundation has worked closely with partners to transform fertility care and women’s health landscapes across 42 countries in Africa and Asia.
In addition, Merck Foundation has provided 770 specialised scholarships in fertility care, embryology, sexual and reproductive medicine, women’s health, psychiatry, urology and family medicine, aimed at strengthening healthcare systems in underserved regions.
Beyond healthcare, the Foundation has expanded its social impact through initiatives such as “Educating Linda”, which supports underprivileged schoolgirls, and “Empowering Berna”, which helps childless women establish small businesses. To date, more than 1,200 annual scholarships have been awarded to high-performing but underprivileged girls across 19 African countries, including Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Over the past 13 years, Dr. Kelej has collaborated with more than 33 African and Asian First Ladies as ambassadors of the “More Than a Mother” programme, working with governments, policymakers, academic institutions, international health bodies, media and creative industries to advance women’s health and empowerment.
Dr. Kelej has also pioneered media and arts-based advocacy, engaging journalists, filmmakers, musicians and fashion designers to amplify public health messaging. Her initiatives include a pan-African television programme, health media training, annual awards for creative advocacy, awareness songs, children’s storybooks and animated films.
With a combined social media following of over 8.5 million, Dr. Kelej continues to use digital platforms to raise awareness on women’s health, education and social equity, reinforcing her influence beyond institutional programmes.
New African Magazine described the 2025 list as a celebration of “human gems”, leaders and innovators whose work continues to shape Africa’s trajectory at a critical moment of transformation.
