In March 2020, as the first cases of COVID-19 were reported on the African continent, the African Palliative Care Association (APCA) began implementing a comprehensive communications plan to prevent and manage the spread of the disease. While many of the communications tools were developed to help national palliative care associations disseminate reliable public health information,...
Palliative care isn’t reliant on high-tech interventions. Rather, it’s provided by compassionate health care workers who are trained to provide holistic care to those with life-limiting conditions. As part of our mission, we want to show the human face of global palliative care. By sharing our partners’ experiences we can shed light on the amazing...
NGOs often rely heavily on charitable donations to survive. Many have made great strides is operational sustainability by integrating small business or income generating projects into their organization. But what happens to palliative care organizations that raise funds to support their work by operating small businesses that have been forced to shut down during this...
The home care team at Helderberg Hospice, located in Somerset West, South Africa, went to great lengths to ensure their patients would continue to receive quality care during the nationwide lockdown. They shared with us a reflection on how COVID-19 has affected their interaction with patients and families. “Friday, the 26th of March 2020 heralded the...
Strong national leadership from the Palliative Care Association of Uganda (PCAU) has helped raise awareness of the importance of palliative care during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a mention of the continued need for palliative care during a recent presidential address. This week, the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, asked district health officers to handle issues...
The dedicated team at Rays of Hope Hospice Jinja were very proactive in preparing for the challenges of this pandemic in order to ensure continued care and support for their patients. In a country where access to health care is limited, palliative care providers are especially concerned for patients who are already immunocompromised. Uganda has...
Healthcare workers in South Africa know there will be a shortage of PPE once COVID-19 really hits their health services. Like many other palliative care providers, Sunflower Children’s Hospice is worried that morphine and other essential medicines will be in short supply for community organizations as it will be needed for hospitals. South Africa locked...
On Sunday, February 24, Northwestern Medicine DeKalb Hospice hosted its 8th annual fundraiser for its South African partner, Knysna Sedgefield Hospice. The fundraiser, “Transformation through Rhythm”, was a concert featuring percussion music by the DeKalb High School Percussion Ensemble, Northern Illinois University Percussion Ensemble, and Harambee African Percussion Ensemble. About 300 people attended the event, some...
Global Partners in Care has announced that its partners, Hospice of The Western Reserve (located in Cleveland, OH) and Helderberg Hospice (located in Somerset West, South Africa), are the recipients of the 2018 Global Partnership Award. The award will be presented during the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s annual Leadership and Advocacy Conference on...
