Through our Merck Foundation Capacity Advancement Program, we are striving to improve access to better Diabetes and Hypertension care in underserved communities.
By educating and training the medical graduates, we want to basically strengthen the local capacities and enhance the clinical management processes. The goal is to raise awareness for these health conditions as well as to support healthcare systems with the measures to prevent, diagnose and manage them effectively.
Scholarship Eligibility Criteria
For all Merck Foundation scholarships are provided to nationals of African Countries, Developing countries and underserved communities as per the World Human Development Index list of Developing countries. http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/latest-human-development-index-ranking
Merck Foundation Scientific committee and Scientific Committee of Academic Partners will focus on African countries with a special focus on French-speaking and Portuguese speaking and SIDS (Small Islands Developing State), with the aim to build healthcare capacity and transform patient care in the public sector which are under pressure due to its limited resources. Therefore, requests from Ministries of Health (MOH) or Medical Societies are preferable. In case of individual requests, a recommendation letter from MOH or Medical Societies of these countries will be required to indicate your country’s gap in a specific specialty and the objective of improving access to equitable and quality patient care in your community is identified and fulfilled.
Moreover, Merck Foundation Scientific Committee will take in consideration in the selection process the following factors when it is needed: the Human Development Index, Population and number of eligible applications received from each country and number of scholarships that have been already provided to each country in such specialties.
Moreover, Merck Foundation plans to offer English courses to candidates applied from French and Portuguese speaking African countries and also to Latin American countries, to give them an equal opportunity to benefit from the online specialty training which is provided only in English (List of Online courses given above).
In case of in-campus Clinical Training Scholarship provided in India, such as Fertility and Embryology Training and Oncology Fellowship, interpreters will be provided to non-English speaking scholars throughout their training program.
*Financial statement to prove your monthly income may be required – One month Salary/Pay slip or Salary Statement or 3 months Bank statement.
Application deadline: 31st December 2021
As a part of the Merck Capacity Advancement Program, the Merck Foundation Diabetes and Hypertension Awards were introduced in more than 30 African and Asian universities. Open to all medical graduates, the aim of the awards is to establish a strong platform of specialized diabetes and hypertension experts in developing countries. The winners are granted enrolment into an internationally recognized one-year online Postgraduate Diploma in English or Online Master course on Clinical Management of Diabetes in French of 3 months duration that advances their clinical knowledge in tackling these chronic diseases.
IMPACT
The program then evolved to the Merck Foundation Nationwide Diabetes Blue Points Project in partnership with African First Ladies, Ministries of Health and Academia to help improve access to equitable and quality diabetes care nationwide in African Countries. Candidates from different provinces, counties or districts of the respective countries are provided with a one-year online Postgraduate Diabetes Diploma in English for English speaking Countries, or an Online Master course on Clinical Management of Diabetes, in French & Portuguese for 3 months duration, for French & Portuguese Speaking countries respectively, ensuring geographical coverage of the whole country to help improve the landscape of diabetes care in Africa
Launched in 2019, Merck Foundation Nationwide Diabetes Blue Point Project aims to help improve access to equitable and quality Diabetes care in Africa, through providing a one-year Diploma and two-year Master Degree in Diabetes and Endocrinology from UK University, to doctors from different provinces, counties or districts of respective countries, ensuring geographical coverage of the whole country.
Moreover, French, Portuguese and Spanish speaking Doctors are provided with a 3-months online “Foundation Course in the Clinical Management of Diabetes” endorsed by Diabetes UK Cymru, in the respective languages.
From 43 countries, 512 Doctors have been provided by one-year Diploma, two-year Master Degree and Master course in Diabetes and Endocrinology and 96 doctors have been provided by one year Diploma and two year Master Degree of Cardiovascular Medicine from UK University.
On completion of course, clinicians will be able to setup Diabetes clinics within a public sector setting nationwide.
Merck Foundation also started Coronavirus Response Program to improve healthcare capacity by providing 101 African Doctors from 25 countries with one-year Online Diploma, two-year Master Degree in Respiratory Medicine and Acute Medicine from UK University.
The Merck Foundation Capacity Advancement program has evolved to the Merck Foundation Nationwide Diabetes Blue Points Program in partnership with African First Ladies, Ministries of Health and Academia to help improve access to equitable and quality Diabetes care nationwide in African countries. Doctors from different provinces, counties or districts of the respective countries are provided with one-year Diploma and two-year’s Master Degree in both Diabetes and Endocrinology for English speaking countries and Master course in Diabetes Management for French, Portuguese and Spanish speaking countries.
*Online Postgraduate Diploma in Diabetes, Preventative Cardiovascular Medicine, Endocrinology, Sexual and Reproductive Medicine, Acute Medicine, Respiratory Medicine and Cancer & Clinical Oncology, Master Degree in Diabetes & Preventative Cardiovascular Medicine, Diabetes Mastercourse in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, Master Degree in Biotechnology of Human Assisted Reproduction and Embryology, Clinical Psychiatry, Dermatology, Rheumatology and Gastroenterology.
