Accra, Ghana, November 16, 2015 — Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced the expansion of its “Best Student Award” program to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and Central University College. For the past three years, the company has selected three students from the University of Ghana’s School of Pharmacy to participate in a month-long internship at its Darmstadt, Germany, headquarters, where they receive practical training in pharmaceutical and life sciences before specializing in their respective fields.
This year’s Best Student Award recipients from the University of Ghana – Adomah Opoku-Achaempong, Yvonne Darko and Emelia Priscilla Imbeah – completed their internship in July.
“The Best Student Award program is one more example of Merck’s commitment to supporting healthy families, healthy communities and healthy economies in Ghana,” said Kai Beckmann, member of the Executive Board and CIO of Merck. “With Africa as a key market for us, we are focused on raising awareness of health topics, responding to unmet medical needs and helping to shape tomorrow’s great scientific minds on the continent.”
“The Best Student Award program has been invaluable for our student participants,” said Alexander K. Nyarko, Professor and Dean of the School of Pharmacy at University of Ghana. “The internship allowed the students to develop their understanding of pharmaceutical and life sciences and gain practical skills, directly helping to inform their choice of specialized fields.”
Advancing sustainable health solutions
Merck also announced the availability of a new online tool for assessing diabetes risk. Individuals who utilize the Merck Diabetes Online Risk Assessment (Merck DORA), available at diabetes.merck-africa.com, can confirm their status with a free blood sugar test at the pharmacy of their choice, as indicated online. The company hopes this program, which is also rolling out in Kenya, will increase awareness of the disease and referrals to local healthcare professionals in Ghana.
Fighting counterfeit medicines
In another effort to improve sustainable access to high-quality health solutions for underserved populations in Ghana, Global Pharma Health Fund (GPHF) presented a third Minilab™ to the Center for Pharmaceutical Advancement & Training (CePAT). The handover to CePAT is part of a larger partnership between GPHF and CePAT to increase access to safe medicines and build local capacity in pharmaceutical quality assurance.
Furthermore, Merck donated a Minilab™ to Ghana’s Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in support of the hospital’s commitment to the availability of safe, authentic and high-quality drugs for its patients.
The Minilabs™, test kits used to detect substandard and counterfeit medicines, are developed and distributed by the Global Pharma Health Fund (GPHF), a charitable organization funded by Merck. To date, GPHF has supplied more than 700 minilabs worldwide; 27 of these mobile compact laboratories are currently in use in Ghana.
Water analysis
Other Merck programs contributing to healthy families, communities and economies in-country include Water for Health and the WASH Window – Football for Water Project. Water for Health is a new initiative leveraging Merck technologies and expertise to develop water technology interventions in underserved regions. The initiative, to be co-financed by the German Investment and Development Corporation (DEG, Deutsche Investitions-und Entwicklungsgesellschaft) with public funds provided by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), is piloting in the Brong-Ahafo region, where Vitens Evides International (VEI) and the Ghana Water Company Ltd., are working with the company to provide access to safe drinking water for a community of 9,000 people. The WASH Window – Football for Water Project – also in partnership with VEI, along with the Royal Netherlands Football Association, the Professional Footballers Association of Ghana, ProNet and the Ghanaian Ministry of Education – aims to improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities and behaviours in 100 schools by linking hygiene to football.
“Water for Health aims to improve drinking water quality in the Brong-Ahafo region through analytical testing, infrastructure improvements and awareness programs,” said Udit Batra, President and CEO of Merck’s life science business. “This initiative is part of our larger goal of accelerating access to healthcare for people everywhere.”
Merck has delivered healthcare services in Africa since 1897. With a population rising faster than in any other global market and a growing middle class, the company is increasingly tapping into the continent’s innovative spirit to create health awareness and help respond to unmet medical needs. The Group’s Executive Board is visiting 10 African countries this week to underscore its commitment and rising importance of the continent. Among others, Merck seeks to start local production diabetes treatment in Algeria, inaugurate an office in Nigeria and start the sale of its Muse® Auto CD4/CD4% System.
Merck, within the scope of its responsible corporate governance, is committed to improving access to health for underserved populations in low-and middle-income countries. Health, along with environment and culture, represent Merck’s strategic spheres of activities that are part of the company’s Corporate Responsibility strategy.
About Merck
Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 40,000 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 2014, Merck generated sales of € 11.3 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, Darmstadt, Germany 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, EMD Millipore and EMD Performance Materials.