First Lady Sajida Mohamed departed for Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday to participate in the 7th Edition of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI) Summit, where she will serve as the guest of honour. The two-day gathering, set to take place from 18 to 19 June, is expected to bring together first ladies from across Africa and Asia to address critical challenges at the intersection of public health and social development.
At the summit, First Lady Sajidha Mohamed is scheduled to deliver remarks at both the inaugural session and a high-level committee meeting. Her participation, according to a statement by the President's Office, will focus on a set of pressing concerns, including the stigma associated with infertility, the advancement of girls' education, broader women's empowerment, and the urgent need to strengthen healthcare systems in fields facing acute workforce shortages.
Her attendance follows her involvement in the 11th Edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, held in Tanzania in 2024, where she took part in discussions shaping regional health and equity goals. In recognition of her advocacy at that event, she was subsequently named a 'Merck Foundation More Than a Mother Ambassador'.
The first lady has expanded her engagement with the foundation through initiatives designed to build clinical expertise in specialised areas such as infertility and embryology, according to the President's Office. She has also been at the forefront of national efforts to raise awareness of reproductive health and to address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, including diabetes and hypertension.
The summit, according to the Merck Foundation, is a hybrid annual conference held under the banner "Together We Make a Difference". This year's edition will convene first ladies from 15 countries across Africa and Asia, with an agenda focused on strengthening healthcare systems, challenging the stigma surrounding infertility, promoting educational opportunities for girls, advancing media and scientific training, and engaging alumni of the foundation's programmes to evaluate the reach and impact of ongoing initiatives.