UNESCO-Merck Africa Research Summit

The objectives of UNESCO-MARS include:{{Cite web|url=https://businessday.ng/companies/article/merck-and-unesco-to-build-research-capacity-in-africa/|title=Merck and UNESCO to build research capacity in Africa|date=October 21, 2015|website=Businessday NG}}

• Enhancing research capacity within the African scientific community
• Supporting health decision-making in low and middle-income countries through innovative research
• Empowering young and female African researchers, encouraging their contributions to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
• Facilitating networking opportunities for African researchers to strengthen their impact
• Identifying and proposing solutions to sustainability challenges in Africa

The inaugural UNESCO-MARS was held in Geneva, Switzerland in 2015. It focused on the role of research in improving public health and sustainable development.{{Cite web | url=https://www.africasciencenews.org/unesco-merck-africa-research-summit-2016/ | title=Unknown}}{{Dead link | date=January 2025 | fix-attempted=yes}} The second summit took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This edition emphasized the role of research in tackling infectious diseases, including HIV and Ebola, and its impact on strengthening health systems. In 2017, the summit was held in Port Louis, Mauritius. It focused on cancer research and vaccine development as key health challenges while promoting the empowerment of women and youth in STEM fields.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gci.cam.ac.uk/events/upcoming-events/international-events/unesco-merck-africa-research-summit-2013-mars-2017|title=UNESCO Merck Africa Research Summit – MARS 2017|first=Sara Serradas|last=Duarte|date=September 29, 2017|website=www.gci.cam.ac.uk}} The 2019 summit was hosted in Accra, Ghana, and centered on building research capacity. It included a high-level roundtable discussion with African ministers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.africa-newsroom.com/press/merck-foundation-to-conduct-their-unescomerck-africa-research-summitmars-2019-in-accra-ghana?lang=en|title=Merck Foundation to conduct their UNESCO-Merck Africa Research Summit–MARS 2019 in Accra, Ghana|date=October 23, 2019|website=www.africa-newsroom.com}}

The summit recognizes outstanding contributions by African researchers through the following awards:

• **Best Young African Researcher Award** – Celebrates young scientists who demonstrate exceptional research achievements.
• **Best African Woman Researcher Award** – Highlights the contributions of female researchers to STEM and public health.[https://merck-foundation.com/initiatives/unesco-merck-africa-research-summit Unknown]{{Dead link | date=January 2025 | fix-attempted=yes}}

The UNESCO-MARS summit collaborates with various stakeholders, including:

• African Union Scientific, Technical and Research Commission (AU-STRC): Supporting innovation and research on the continent.{{Cite web | url=https://austrc.org/mars.html | title= WEBSITE of the UNESCO-Merck Africa Research Summit | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190912104420/https://austrc.org/mars.html | archive-date=2019-09-12}}
• University of Cambridge: Providing expertise in scientific research and mentoring.
• African Governments: engaging policymakers to drive research-led health initiatives.

The summit has played a pivotal role in:

• Building research capacity in Africa
• Empowering women and youth in scientific research
• Addressing key health challenges such as infectious diseases, cancer, and vaccine development
• Strengthening partnerships to promote sustainability and public health across the continent

Category:Conferences