Merck Foundation's 'More Than a Mother' Movement Transforms Fertility Care and Challenges Infertility Stigma
Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation, has been driving a comprehensive approach to transform fertility care and break infertility stigma through Merck Foundation's 'More Than a Mother' movement.
The movement addresses not only the shortage of trained fertility specialists but also the social, cultural, religious, and communication barriers that prevent women and couples from seeking and benefiting from quality fertility care.
Dr. Rasha Kelej has provided more than 800 scholarships for healthcare providers from 42 countries as part of the 'Merck Foundation More Than a Mother' movement, supporting specialized training in fertility care and contributing to the development of local fertility specialists and embryologists in many countries where there was not even a single specialist.
The movement has worked to build an ecosystem in which local medical expertise develops alongside the social understanding and acceptance necessary for women and couples to actually seek and benefit from that expertise.