Wednesday, 27 September 2006

The first ever survey of palliative care in Africa has been published with the support of The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. The book entitled “Hospice and Palliative Care in Africa”, maps the state of palliative care in all 47 countries across the continent with the aim of providing information for governments, healthcare providers and funding agencies.

The landmark book provides solid evidence about how hospice and palliative care services are developing across Africa and provides a benchmark against which future progress in the field can be measured. It shows clearly what provisions already exist and allows governments, NGOs and health care providers to easily identify gaps that need to be filled. It can further be used as an advocacy tool to promote interest and awareness of palliative care.

The survey divides the continent’s 47 countries into four groups according to the level of palliative care provision. The first category covers 21 countries where there are no provisions in place e.g. in Angola and Benin. The second lists 11 countries where services are being developed e.g. in Algeria and the Cameroon. The third category covers 11 countries which have localised provision e.g. Botswana and Egypt, and the fourth category covers 4 countries where there is good provision e.g. in South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Dr Astrid Honeyman, Chief Executive of The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund said:
“We are very pleased to have supported the research and production of this seminal study on palliative care in Africa. The Fund has always sought to ensure that palliative care is part of the continuum of care for patients suffering from HIV/AIDS and we are confident that the book will play a critical role in getting this message across at local, national and international levels.”

The book was compiled and written by staff of Lancaster University’s International Observatory on End of Life Care.

For more information, go to: Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund