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• Merck Foundation together with African First Ladies and Ministries of Health continues to build cancer care capacity by providing around 260 Scholarships of One-year Clinical Training in many oncology sub- specialties, and One year and Two year Post Graduate Diploma and Master Degree of Cancer and Clinical Oncology, Medical Oncology and Pain Management.
• Merck Foundation is making history in Africa by training the First African Oncologists and First Cancer Care Teams in Countries such as The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Liberia, Guinea Conakry, Central African Republic, Chad, Malawi, Niger, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and more.
• Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO together with African First Ladies recently released “Ray of Hope” children's storybook and Animation Film for Cancer Awareness in three languages. Watch ‘Ray of Hope' animation film here: https://apo-opa.co/4wj0apB

Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com), the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, marks ‘World Cancer Day 2026' together with Africa's First Ladies and Ministries of Health by continuing to build and advance cancer care capacity through their Cancer Access Program, with the aim to increase the limited number of Oncologists in Africa.

Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.) explained, “At Merck Foundation, we mark World Cancer Day through our sustained, everyday efforts to transform cancer care in Africa by addressing one of its most critical gaps: late diagnosis and the shortage of trained specialists.

Together with my dear sisters, African First Ladies, we have strengthened cancer care capacity in the continent by providing 258 Oncology Scholarships for healthcare providers from 34 African and Asian countries, significantly increasing the number of trained oncologists and developing the multidisciplinary cancer care teams. In several of these countries, there wasn't even a single oncologist. We are very proud that we are making history by training the first oncologists and first multidisciplinary cancer care teams in many countries like The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Liberia, Guinea Conakry, Central African Republic, Chad, Niger, and many more.”

Merck Foundation in total provided more than 2500 scholarships for healthcare providers from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialities.

“Merck Foundation remains committed to transforming the landscape of patient care in general, and cancer care in particular, leading Africa toward a healthier future,” Dr. Rasha Kelej further explained.

As part of their Cancer Access Program, Merck Foundation has to date provided 258 Scholarships for healthcare providers from 34 countries as per the following:

Merck Foundation is establishing Multidisciplinary Oncology Care teams in many African countries by providing scholarships of One year clinical training in most of oncology sub- specialties such as; Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Pediatrics Oncology, Gynecology Oncology, Breast Oncology, Haemato-Oncology, Orthopedic Oncology, Palliative Care, Pathology Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Research in Oncology, Genital Urinary oncology, Advanced Cytopathology Training, Interventional Radiology, Radiation Technician, Laboratory Technician, Oncology Nursing.

Moreover, Merck Foundation provides One-year and Two-year Post Graduate Diploma and Master Degree of Cancer and Clinical Oncology, Medical Oncology and Pain Management from reputed Universities in UK like University of South Wales, University of Buckingham, Queen Mary University of London, and Cardiff University.

The 34 countries include Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

According to WHO data (2022), Africa sees roughly 1.1 million new cancer cases and up to about 700,000 cancer deaths each year. Cancer mortality rates in Africa are much higher than in many other regions of the world, reflecting late diagnosis, limited access to care, and gaps in health systems. Therefore, Merck Foundation's oncology scholarships play a critically important role in strengthening cancer care capacity across the continent.

Dr. Rasha Kelej further shared, “Nearly two-thirds of cancer cases can be successfully treated when diagnosed early, and up to one-third can be prevented by reducing key risk factors such as exposure to radiation, certain infections, and lifestyle-related causes. To raise awareness about it, we have recently launched a children storybook and its adaptive animation film “Ray of Hope”, in partnership with African First Ladies. The story deals with childhood cancer and highlights the critical importance of early detection and access to well-trained cancer care teams capable of recognizing early warning signs.”

Read ‘Ray of Hope' storybook here: https://apo-opa.co/4npV5b6

Watch ‘Ray of Hope' animation film here: https://apo-opa.co/4wj0apB

Merck Foundation has also created awareness materials including awareness leaflets and videos on Cancer Prevention and Early Detection.

Dr Judith Mkwaila, Merck Foundation Alumni from Malawi shares, “It was a great honor and privilege to be awarded the Merck Foundation Scholarship to pursue the Surgical Oncology fellowship training program at Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth, India. The fellowship gave me both, theoretical and hands-on training in complex oncological procedures for head and neck cancers, breast, upper gastrointestinal and colorectal cancers. I was exposed to a multidisciplinary team approach in cancer care hence deepening my knowledge and skills in multimodality approach to cancer treatment for both curative and palliative purposes. Due to the knowledge and skills acquired through the training, I was able to start a General Surgical Clinic and become the First and Only Female Chief Surgeon at the Mzuzu Central Hospital. I am very thankful to Merck Foundation for the opportunity given to me to pursue this fellowship program and for continuing this noble cause of increasing access to high quality cancer care.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation.

Contact:
Mehak Handa
Community Awareness Program Manager
Phone: +91 9310087613/ +91 9319606669
Email: mehak.handa@external.merckgroup.com

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About Merck Foundation: 
The Merck Foundation, 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 quality & equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare & scientific research capacity, empowering girls in education 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 visit www.Merck-Foundation.com to read more. Follow the social media of Merck Foundation: Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/3QStt29), X (https://apo-opa.co/4dir4Fz), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/4tlB5HG), YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/4uGPKyx), Threads (https://apo-opa.co/4ddMROq) and Flickr (https://apo-opa.co/4tm4K3w).

The Merck Foundation is dedicated to improving social and health outcomes for communities in need. While it collaborates with various partners, including governments to achieve its humanitarian goals, the foundation remains strictly neutral in political matters. It does not engage in or support any political activities, elections, or regimes, focusing solely on its mission to elevate humanity and enhance well-being while maintaining a strict non-political stance in all of its endeavors.

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In April this year, Angola's Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication launched a national data center and government platform, marking a significant step in its digital transformation strategy. The facility is designed to enhance cybersecurity by localizing sensitive data, reduce operational costs across government systems and expand access to digital public services, while strengthening investor confidence and positioning the country as an emerging digital hub in southern Africa.

The move highlights a broader continental shift in which Africa's oil and gas sector is increasingly supporting data center expansion by providing reliable power, capital investment and industrial infrastructure. This convergence between energy and digital systems will be a central theme at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, taking place from October 12–16 in Cape Town, where a dedicated AI and Data Center Track will examine how energy resources can unlock scalable digital growth.

Angola's rollout builds on a series of large-scale infrastructure investments aimed at strengthening connectivity and digital inclusion. Since launching the ANGOSAT-2 satellite in October 2022, the country has expanded its national fiber-optic backbone to approximately 22,000 km and enhanced international bandwidth through connections to submarine systems including 2Africa, WACS, SACS and SAT-3/WASC. Broadband coverage now exceeds 85% of the population, with roughly 17.7 million subscribers and mobile penetration approaching 75%, reflecting steady gains in digital adoption.

At the industrial level, the hydrocarbons sector is playing an increasingly central role in anchoring digital infrastructure. Angola's state-owned Sonangol inaugurated a 920m² corporate data center in Luanda on February 27, consolidating previously fragmented systems into a unified, high-security platform. The facility enables AI-driven applications such as reservoir simulation, predictive maintenance and emissions monitoring, allowing operators to optimize production efficiency while aligning with global standards for lower-carbon oil and gas development.

International energy companies are accelerating this shift by embedding advanced digital tools across offshore and onshore operations. Energy major ExxonMobil has deployed autonomous drones in Block 15, reducing inspection times by up to 60% while improving safety and continuity of production. Meanwhile, multinational energy corporation TotalEnergies is leveraging AI-enabled seismic processing and airborne methane detection technologies across Blocks 17 and 32, increasing data processing speeds by roughly 30% and improving environmental oversight.

Beyond upstream operations, private capital is scaling Africa's data center footprint to meet rising enterprise and cloud demand. Data center operator and developer Raxio Group has commissioned Angola's first Tier III facility through a $30 million investment, aimed at retaining data traffic locally and supporting hyperscale and enterprise clients. In Nigeria, MainOne launched the Lekki II data center in May 2025, reinforcing Lagos' position as a premier digital infrastructure hub in West Africa. Meanwhile, in South Africa, TotalEnergies and data center operator Teraco are pioneering wheeling agreements by building a 120 MW solar plant in the Free State province to power facilities in Johannesburg.

These developments are unfolding alongside broader industrial expansion plans that link energy production director to digital growth. Aliko Dangote's conglomerate is targeting $100 billion in annual revenue by 2030, backed by at least $40 billion in investment across sectors including gas, power and data centers. As demand for compute capacity rises, gas-to-power projects and integrated energy systems are expected to provide the stable electricity required to sustain large-scale digital infrastructure.

As Africa's digital economy expands, the intersection of hydrocarbons, power generation and data infrastructure are becoming increasingly strategic, particularly in markets where grid stability remains a constraint. Through the AI and Data Center track, AEW 2026 is expected to position this energy-digital nexus as a cornerstone of future investment. The AI- and data center-focused track is further expected to highlight how oil and gas resources can support AI deployment, strengthen data sovereignty and accelerate the continent's transition toward a more connected, technology-driven economic model.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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