We are winners of the 2021 Kenneth C. Frazier Award!

We are happy to announce that we are the first winner of this award among more than 100 organizations worldwide for our work, especially focused on rural populations in Colombia.

Merck, also known as MSD, has announced that Synergies is the first recipient of the Kenneth C. Frazier Maternal Health Equity Award in recognition of our organization's exemplary commitment to more equitable, high-quality maternal health care in the country. The annual award was created earlier this year to honor the legacy of Kenneth C. Frazier, Merck's executive chairman and former CEO, who championed the advancement of maternal health equity and called for safe pregnancy and childbirth for all. The award is given through Merck for Mothers, Merck's global initiative to help create a world where no woman has to die while giving birth.

At Sinergias, we focus on strengthening the local health system in Colombia by improving access to respectful, high-quality, culturally relevant maternal health services that center women as key actors in their communities' health systems. Working in the hardest-to-reach areas of the country, we co-create solutions with indigenous and rural communities to address inequities in maternal health issues. With the award, Sinergias will work hand-in-hand with health professionals and community health workers in Cauca and Vaupés to pilot and expand efforts to improve the quality of maternal health in underserved communities in these departments.

“Kenneth C. Frazier left an indelible mark on health systems around the world with his fight for social justice and his commitment to using the power of the private sector to create a public good,” said Dr. Mary-Ann Etiebet, director of Merck for Mothers.

“Awarding Synergies the Kenneth C. Frazier Maternal Health Equity Award advances this legacy as we work together as a global community to improve and save lives in the communities that need it most.” - Dr. Mary-Ann Etiebet, director of Merck for Mothers.

“We are incredibly proud of Merck for Mothers' past ten years of progress in Latin America, where to date we have reached 650,000 women with 15 programs in 10 countries in the region,” said Tyrone Brewer, president of Merck's Latin America Human Health.

“It is organizations like Sinergias that bring us closer to creating a world where pregnancy and childbirth are safe for everyone.” - Tyrone Brewer, president of Merck's Latin America Human Health.

"Winning this award is a great honor for us, but more importantly it is a recognition and a wake-up call about the importance of working with people to adapt health services in marginalized and diverse communities. Also, this recognition highlights the need to improve access to quality services by strengthening local capacities to improve health in a sustainable way," said Pablo Montoya, CEO of Sinergias.