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May 22, 2026 – Ghana –
Journalist Agnes Opoku Sarpong of the Ghanaian Times has received two honors at the 2025 Merck Foundation Africa Media Recognition Awards for her reporting on diabetes and hypertension. Sarpong secured first and third positions in the print category for West African countries, with winning entries published in 2024 and 2025.
The awards were presented during the Merck Foundation Summit and Awards Ceremony held in Accra in partnership with the Lordina Foundation. The event brought together journalists, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and development organizations to recognize reporting and advocacy focused on public health and social issues across Africa.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, praised journalists and award recipients for contributing to public awareness on critical healthcare and social challenges. She said the summit highlighted real-life impact achieved through interventions in healthcare, education, and empowerment programmes rather than simply presenting statistics and reports.
Mahama also emphasized the work of the Lordina Foundation, which supports vulnerable communities through healthcare, education, and economic empowerment projects. According to her remarks, the foundation’s collaboration with the Merck Foundation has helped train medical professionals, support girls’ education, and improve awareness surrounding non-communicable diseases and gender-based violence.
During the ceremony, Merck Foundation Chief Executive Officer Dr. Rasha Kelej commended African journalists for using media platforms to address social stigma, women’s empowerment, infertility awareness, and public health issues such as diabetes and hypertension. She said journalists play a central role in shaping public understanding and influencing social change across the continent.
Award winners were also inducted into the Merck Foundation Alumni network and granted access to a one-year online educational programme known as the “Masterclass,” aimed at strengthening reporting skills and public health communication.
The recognition of Sarpong continues a broader trend of Ghanaian journalists receiving honors through the Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards in recent years. Media professionals from organizations including Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, The Chronicle, and other Ghanaian outlets have previously been recognized for reporting focused on healthcare, women’s rights, and social development issues.
The awards have increasingly been viewed as part of wider efforts to encourage African journalists to prioritize public-interest reporting on healthcare, education, and gender issues. Media advocates and public health organizations have argued that sustained journalism on these subjects plays a major role in improving awareness and influencing policy discussions throughout the region.
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