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Doctors told her they were going to remove her womb after three fibroid operations to stop her abnormal bleeding, but she refused.

Nurses worsened her emotional stress by telling her she will never be able to give birth.

She was stigmatised, abused and insulted because she couldn’t give birth and to make matters worse, her husband went in for another woman to give him children. She is still having medical issues and have no one and nowhere to turn to....

It is with stories like this that Merck’s ‘More than a mother’ campaign was launched to help women battling fertility challenges and to help eliminate stigmatisation and other issues affecting women.

Mawuli, who brought tears to the eyes of almost all present shared her touching story when she attended the launch of Merck’s “More Than a Mother” campaign. Her predicament touched the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo who was present at the event and she promised to help her.

The “More Than a Mother” initiative, was put together by Merck Foundation, a philanthropic arm of Merck Germany in partnership with the First lady of Ghana to underscore its commitment to build healthcare capacity in the country and to finalise discussions on the 6th Merck Africa Asia Luminary; a Merck Foundation’s annual conference which will be held in Ghana in October 2019.

During the launch which was held at the Labadi Beach Hotel, Monday, Merck also acknowledged the efforts of Madam Rebecca Akufo-Addo as an Ambassador for the Merck 'More than a Mother' initiative in the country.

The CEO of Merck Foundation, Rasha Kelej thanked the First Lady for accepting Merck's ambassadorial position as well as accepting to host the 6th edition of Merck Africa Asia Luminary in October.

On her part, the First Lady expressed excitement to partner with Merck and to host and co-chair the conference in October, 2019.

The First lady was accompanied by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Cynthia Morrison and the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu.

About ‘Merck More Than A Mother’ campaign

‘Merck More Than A Mother’ initiative aims to empower infertile women through access to information, education and health and by changing mind-sets. This powerful initiative supports government in defining policies to enhance access to regulated, safe and effective fertility care. It defines interventions to break the stigma around infertile women and raises awareness about Infertility, prevention and management. In partnership with academia, ministries of health and international fertility societies, the initiative also provides medical education and training for healthcare providers and embryologists to build and advance fertility care capacity in Africa and developing countries.

With ‘Merck More Than A Mother’, we have initiated a cultural shift to de-stigmatize infertility on all levels: By improving awareness, training the skills of local experts, building advocacy in cooperation with decision makers and by supporting childless women in starting their own small business. It’s all about giving every woman the respect and the help she deserves to live a fulfilling life, with our without a child.

About Merck Foundation

The Merck Foundation (Merck-Foundation.com), established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to innovative healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare and scientific research capacity and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website. Please go to Merck-Foundation.com to read more and/or register online to interact and exchange experience with our registered members.

About Merck

Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Almost 53,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life – from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2017, Merck generated sales of € 15.3 billion in 66 countries.

Founded in 1668, Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma.