First Lady Highlights Need for Fertility Specialists at First Ladies’ Summit

First Lady Madam Sajidha Mohamed has highlighted the urgent need for fertility and embryology specialists in the Maldives, while speaking at the inauguration of the 7th Edition of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative Summit (MFFLI), held today in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Delivering the keynote address, the First Lady expressed appreciation to the Merck Foundation for facilitating fertility and embryology training scholarships for Maldivian doctors, noting that this is a critical medical speciality facing a shortage of skilled professionals in the country. She also thanked the Foundation for naming her an Ambassador of the “More Than A Mother” campaign, which seeks to raise awareness of infertility stigma and support affected individuals.

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In her speech, Madam Sajidha congratulated the Merck Foundation on its 8th anniversary and recognised its 13 years of broader social development work. She noted ongoing efforts in the Maldives to expand access to affordable and quality healthcare and expressed interest in long-term technical partnerships to further enhance services across the sector.

She also underscored the importance of community-level awareness and service improvements in areas such as cancer screening, mental health, and women’s leadership in health. Addressing fellow First Ladies in attendance, the First Lady shared details of a national awareness initiative developed in partnership with the Merck Foundation. The initiative addresses issues such as infertility stigma, gender-based violence, women’s empowerment, diabetes, and hypertension.

Additionally, she briefed participants on the Maldives’ Gender Equality Action Plan, which supports women entrepreneurs, promotes access to justice for women, and includes measures to prevent gender-based violence.

The First Lady is attending the summit as the Guest of Honour.