DR. RASHA KELEJ NAMED AMONG AFRICA’S 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE 2025
By Marco Maduhu
Chief Executive Officer of Merck Foundation and President of the More Than a Mother campaign, Dr. Rasha Kelej, has been named among the 100 Most Influential Africans for 2025 by the prestigious New African Magazine of the United Kingdom.
Dr. Kelej has earned this recognition for the seventh consecutive year, in acknowledgment of her outstanding contribution to transforming healthcare systems, empowering women and girls, and fighting infertility stigma across Africa.
She joins a list of prominent African leaders, including the Presidents of Angola, South Africa and Ghana, as well as influential figures from public service, business, technology, social change, and creative industries.
Speaking after receiving the recognition, Dr. Rasha Kelej said she was deeply honored to be listed among Africa’s most influential individuals, noting that the award reflects the collective efforts of her team in strengthening healthcare capacity, empowering infertile women, and supporting girls’ education across the continent.
Under her leadership, Merck Foundation has implemented several impactful programs, including the Healthcare Providers Scholarship Program, the More Than a Mother movement launched in 2015, and the Educating Linda initiative aimed at keeping girls in school.
For more than 13 years, Dr. Kelej has worked closely with over 33 African and Asian First Ladies as ambassadors of the More Than a Mother campaign, in collaboration with ministries of health, education and gender, academic institutions, policymakers and international partners from more than 52 countries.
Through Merck Foundation, more than 2,500 scholarships have been awarded to healthcare professionals in 44 critical and underserved medical specialties, significantly improving access to quality and equitable healthcare, particularly in reproductive and women’s health.
In addition to healthcare initiatives, the foundation has economically empowered childless women through the Empowering Berna program and provided over 1,200 annual scholarships to underprivileged but high-performing African schoolgirls, including beneficiaries from Tanzania.
According to New African Magazine, the annual list of the 100 Most Influential Africans highlights individuals who are shaping Africa’s present and future through impactful leadership and transformative work across the continent and beyond.
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