Merck Foundation and Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), have inked an MoU to partner in providing embryology training programme for Africa and Asia.

The Embryology Training Programme is a certificate course in Assistive Reproduction and Embryology through its ‘Merck More Than a Mother’ campaign. It aims to bridge the deficit of highly skilled embryologists in Africa and part of Asia to match the ever-rising demand for fertility care in these countries.
 
According to Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO, Merck Foundation, “the hands-on practical training to develop embryologists’ platform in Africa and Asia to increase the number of standalone embryologists, and to improve the access to cost-effective fertility care in the developing countries, since the lack of trained and skilled health personnel is the main challenge in Africa and Asia.”

“Merck Foundation is working for a noble cause, and we are excited about this partnership and hope for a long-term partnership with the foundation”, stated Prof. Poornima Baliga, Pro Vice-Chancellor, MAHE.
 
“We are glad to be a part of this initiative of Merck Foundation. We appreciate the Foundation’s efforts to break the infertility stigma and to build fertility care capacity in Africa and developing countries,” said Prof.Pragna Rao, Dean, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal.
 
“The training program will shoulder the responsibility of fine-tuning and honing the delicate skills of the embryologists in IVF Centres, and emphasize the importance of ethics while handling human sperm, eggs and embryos”, said Prof Satish Adiga who is heading the training program.
 
Merck Foundation is planning to progressively scale-up to more African and Asian countries in addition to other developing countries. Through the clear benefits demonstrated of improving healthcare capacities, cultural shift to destigmatize infertility, the Merck More Than a Mother has sustained active participation in the different countries since 2015.
 
Merck Foundation provided for more than 50 candidates, three months to six months clinical and practical training for fertility specialists and embryologists in more than 17 countries across Africa and Asia. It has made an entry into African countries where they never had fertility specialists or specialized fertility clinics to train the first fertility specialists such as; in Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Gambia, Niger, Chad, and Guinea.
 
It supported the establishment of the first public IVF centers in Ethiopia and Uganda through providing the clinical and practical training necessary for their staff. Plans are underway to support the establishment of the first public IVF in Tanzania soon.