Merck Unites With UNESCO to Build Research Capacity in Africa

PR62234

GENEVA, Oct 19, 2015 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

    - UNESCO-Merck Africa Research Summit aims to define interventions to

prepare for the road ahead in Africa's development as an international hub for

research excellence and scientific innovation

    - Summit will put specific emphasis on how to translate knowledge into

action to improve health

    - Summit to be conducted on a yearly basis to ensure significant

sustainable impact; 2015 edition will be dedicated to emergent infectious

diseases

    Merck, a leading science and technology company, today launches in

partnership with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organization (UNESCO) the first edition of the UNESCO-Merck Africa Research

Summit, to be held in Geneva, Switzerland. The summit aims to address the vital

role of scientific research in the improvement and sustainable development of

the African population health, with specific emphasis on how to translate

knowledge into action.

         (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151019/278051LOGO )

         (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151019/278052LOGO )

         (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151019/278053 )

    "Merck is very pleased to join forces with UNESCO and take together an

active role in addressing health challenges and strengthening the role of

scientific research in life sciences and medical sciences for Africa," said

Stefan Oschmann, Vice Chairman of the Executive Board and Deputy CEO of Merck,

at the inauguration of the UNESCO-Merck Africa Research Summit. "The summit

will bring together researchers from across Africa to discuss the generation,

sharing and dissemination of research data with the aim of identifying

development opportunities that will contribute to building research capacity,

accelerating

access to innovative health solutions and sustaining innovation in Africa."

    "The UNESCO-Merck Africa Research Summit was initiated to address in parts

the vital role of research in the improvement and sustainable development of

population health with specific emphasis on how to translate knowledge into

action - the 'know-do gap' - to improve health," emphasized Flavia Schlegel,

Assistant Director-General of Natural Sciences, UNESCO. "Moreover, the summit

will provide a platform for dialogue on improving global cooperation on life

science and health research and narrowing the disparities in health systems

performance between developing and developed countries."

    Uganda Minister of State of Health, Sarah Opendi emphasized at the summit

"New Health Challenges are expected in the future and therefore this noble

initiative by UNESCO and Merck will significantly contribute towards enhancing

policy environment, support and build capacity of researchers in low and middle

income countries."

    The summit will be conducted on a yearly basis to ensure significant

sustainable impact on access to high-quality and innovative healthcare

solutions, building research capacity and sustaining innovation across Africa.

    The 2015 UNESCO-Merck Africa Research Summit will focus on the role of

building capacities in the life sciences to address challenges of infectious

diseases, most notably the Ebola crises.

    Scientifically supported by UNESCO, the University of Cambridge (UK), and

the University of Rome (Italy), the summit will be a valuable opportunity for

young researchers who are engaged and interested in health and life science

research in Africa to learn about the full spectrum of ground-breaking

scientific research currently underway, and prepare for the road ahead in

Africa's development as an international hub for research excellence and

scientific innovation. Abstracts were invited from final year African PhD

students and young investigators involved in HIV, Ebola and other infectious

diseases research. All are primarily based at African research institutes and

universities. All abstracts were peer reviewed by scientific committee and will

be eligible for fellowship award in Merck R&D hub and further number of

research awards which will be announced at the end of the summit.

    References:

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/programme-meetings/?tx_browser_pi1%5BshowUid%5D=31599&cHash=311dfece4d

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    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 EUR 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.

SOURCE: Merck