Award-winning journalist and broadcaster Maltiti Sayida Sadick of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) has been honoured by the Merck Foundation at the 2025 ‘More Than a Mother’ Media Recognition Awards, earning third place in Ghana for her outstanding reporting on maternal health and social issues affecting vulnerable women and girls.
The annual global awards recognise journalists who use the power of storytelling to raise awareness about critical health and social issues, including maternal health, infertility, chronic diseases, women’s empowerment, and the fight against stigma. The initiative promotes impactful journalism that inspires policy discussions and drives positive social change.
Maltiti Sayida Sadick received the award for a series of compelling reports highlighting the realities faced by some of Ghana’s most vulnerable populations.
Among the award-winning stories was a powerful report on head porters, popularly known as Kayayei, which focused on the heartbreaking experience of a young woman from Northern Ghana who gave birth prematurely at a bus terminal in Accra. The story shed light on the plight of many young girls who migrate from northern Ghana to the capital in search of economic opportunities, only to face exploitation, sexual abuse, unintended pregnancies, human trafficking and other forms of vulnerability.
She was also recognised for her feature on KODU Technology, an innovative initiative developed by young Ghanaian university graduates to help combat period poverty. The report showcased how locally produced sanitary products are improving menstrual health, helping girls stay in school and empowering young women across Ghana.
The winners were announced during a virtual awards ceremony hosted by Dr Rasha Kelej, Chief Executive Officer of the Merck Foundation and Founder of the ‘More Than a Mother’ campaign. Dr Kelej congratulated the award recipients from across Africa and beyond, officially welcoming them into the growing network of Merck Foundation Media Ambassadors committed to advancing health awareness through responsible journalism.
By receiving this international honour, Maltiti Sayida Sadick joins a distinguished group of journalists from around the world recognised for using journalism to influence conversations on public health, gender equality and social development.
Her recognition also adds to the growing list of achievements by journalists at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, reflecting GBC’s continued commitment to producing impactful public interest journalism that addresses national development challenges and amplifies the voices of marginalised communities.
The Merck Foundation’s ‘More Than a Mother’ Media Recognition Awards remain one of the world’s leading platforms celebrating journalists whose reporting contributes to improving healthcare awareness, reducing stigma and inspiring action towards healthier and more inclusive societies.
