Merck Healthcare Vietnam scores win at Healthcare Asia Pharma Awards 2025

The company secured awards for its CARE Culture and Fertility Counts Project.

Merck Healthcare Vietnam emerged as the recipient of the Employee Engagement of the Year - Vietnam and Sustainability Initiative of the Year - Vietnam accolades at the Healthcare Asia Pharma Awards 2025. These recognitions were given to the company for promoting an employee-centred culture and for addressing Vietnam’s declining fertility rates. 

CARE Culture

Merck Healthcare Vietnam implements CARE culture, wherein employees are at the core of the company’s people strategy. The company prioritises its people’s well-being in three dimensions: physical, mental, and social, with the belief that healthy employees result in wealthy business.

In line with this vision, Healthcare Vietnam initiated several tailored programmes to meet the needs of its employees. These initiatives put emphasis on engagement, career development, total rewards and mental health, and encourage employees from all levels and business units to participate in shaping people-related projects.

Employees also have the avenue to be heard as they are invited to share feedback through surveys, join focus group discussions, and become champions in executing key programmes. Employees are invited to be part of regular updates from senior leaders through coffee sessions and panel discussions. As a follow-up action of the annual Employee Engagement Survey, a six-step programme is incorporated into action plans to hear the feedback from employees. This approach saw a 90% follow-up rate for the EES 2024 survey, with 95% of employees stating that the results were communicated within their teams. 

In addition to that, Healthcare Vietnam also engages employees through their family members, such as on the occasion of Little Scientist Day, where their children have a chance to explore science, AI, and VR in Merck offices. This helps strengthen the social connection amongst Merckers, their family, children, and Merck.  

Furthermore, Merck Vietnam also provides female colleagues with pre- and post-maternity leave. Merck Vietnam is also a pioneer in implementing family-friendly initiatives for its employees, such as the "Fertility Support Program for employees performing assisted reproduction according to medical indications."  Merck Vietnam provides financial support to all employees and their spouses for assisted reproduction when medically indicated. The program offers a maximum subsidy of up to EUR15,000 per eligible employee during their tenure at Merck, helping employees fulfil their dreams of becoming parents whilst demonstrating the company's commitment to supporting its employees.

As an organisation where nearly 70% of the workforce is female, Merck introduces the “Welcoming Staff Back from Maternity Leave or Long Sick Leave,” which provides a care package, including transportation for mom-to-be from the seventh month of her pregnancy. This package also covers postnatal services and welcome-back package to prepare the new mom for the best condition in both physical and mental health and back to work with full energy.

On top of that, Merck established the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), where the employees can be consulted by experts on various topics ranging from their professional to personal priorities. This channel is operated by an independent partner of Merck with strong expertise in consultancy and an approach to maintaining the best service and confidentiality.

Fertility Counts

Fertility Counts is an initiative, supported by Merck, that aims to address the social, economic, and societal challenges of low birth rates in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, including Vietnam, providing resources and research to support policymakers and advocates in building family-friendly societies. 

After the initiative was implemented, it distributed advanced fertility toolkits that provided reliable data and insights, which then helped professionals understand and manage declining fertility rates.

In Vietnam, a scientific forum was organised as well in which policymakers, fertility experts, and international partners participated and discussed the causes of fertility decline in August 2024. Through this, the concerned management was able to shape policies and strategies for the future.

The Fertility Counts Project is a crucial initiative, as it concerns an issue that has a great impact on Vietnam’s future. Fertility decline isn’t just a healthcare problem; it affects the economy, workforce, and overall social stability. 

This project is also unique as it connects science, policy, and the public and aligns everyone’s efforts in solving the problem. The Fertility Counts Project is ultimately an example of innovation and collaboration in action. 

On 6 March 2025, under the patronage of the German Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, Merck Vietnam hosted the event "The Motherhood Choice: To Have or Not to Have Children," which highlighted the importance of sustainability in social responsibility. This event aimed to foster discussions around the choices surrounding parenthood and the impact these decisions have on individuals and society. By addressing these topics, Merck Vietnam showcased its commitment to supporting employees in making informed choices while promoting a culture of sustainability and social awareness.

Healthcare Asia Pharma Awards applauds the companies in Asia that have redefined pharmaceutical excellence. It gives recognition to the game-changers and visionaries who possess unwavering commitment to innovation and excellence.

The Healthcare Asia Pharma Awards is presented by Healthcare Asia Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be recognised for your organisation's innovative and unique initiatives that enhanced your business and remarkable contributions to the pharmaceutical industry, please contact Julie Anne Nuñez at [email protected].