The 3rd Kenya National Palliative Care Conference, hosted by KEHPCA from 12 -14 September, drew 300 delegates from across East and Southern Africa, the United States and Europe.
Representative of the conference theme, “Strengthening Health Systems by Integrating Palliative Care,” the participant list included patients, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social professionals, and health care administrators.
KEHPCA’s Executive Director, Dr. Zipporah Ali noted that the conference served as an ideal platform where global experts, medical professionals and government policy makers could share achievements and shape the future of palliative care services in Kenya.
To capture her sentiment, we compiled 8 notable statements we heard during break-out sessions, plenary sessions and discussions from palliative care practitioners and beneficiaries represented.
1. “It is the family that knows what [the patient] eats and where [the patient] sleeps, hence the family needs to be told what to do, rightly, and supported to address their needs as well.”
Mrs Dorothy Nyong’o, Head of Advocacy and Public Relations at the Africa Cancer Foundation, on the importance of the family unit as very important in ensuring success and continuity of palliative care services. The Africa Cancer Foundation was launched after her husband, Professor Nyong’o, was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Professor Nyong’o agreed that his wife was his first and most important palliative care provider.
2. “Let’s not talk about cancer timidly, but call the cancer by name.”
Honourable Professor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, Minister for Medical Services, who himself is a prostate cancer survivor. In his speech, he warned against using jargon when addressing cancer.
3. “Kuku mgeni hakosi kamba mguun’i” (a new chicken has a rope in its feet.)
Dr Thomas Miller of Hospice and Community Care, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Dr Miller encouraged practitioners to talk about palliative care using proverbs. He compared palliative care to a new chicken that was still handled with caution and therefore had a rope in its feet. He noted that with time, by humbly and strategically modelling the way, palliative care would be free and included in the health systems.
4. “You need to pay attention to the WHO public health model in order to integrate palliative care into district health system; begin with what you have, begin with what you know and inform all the other members. If we are the only providers, what happens when we are not there? Everyone needs to know palliative care principles.”
Dr Eleanor Foster, who started a palliative care unit in Malindi District Hospital, talked about advocating for favourable policies, drug availability, education and service delivery in line with the WHO’s enhanced Public Health Model for palliative care.
5. “Uncontrolled physical suffering decrease ability to deal with other domains, uncontrolled social, psychological and spiritual pain intensifies the physical symptoms.”
Dr Stephen Taylor, the Spiritual Care Coordinator at the Hospice of Washington County in his presentation: ‘Holistic management of pain and suffering: reclaiming our roots.’
6. “My uncle was my strongest man and seeing him groan with pain was most devastating thing to me; I was very delighted to be among the people to make morphine accessible to patients. We do not have to watch people scream anymore. If we do not give total pain management, there shall never be comfort in palliative care. Pain is the mainstay of palliative care.”
Dr. Joe Kanja, a pharmacist in Meru Level 5 Hospital, on the importance of morphine in palliative care.
7. “We need robust evidence to show the policy makers that palliative care is actually useful and makes a difference to patients.”
Dr Caprice Knapp, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Outcomes and Policy at the University of Florida, discussed the need for data to inform policy advocacy and planning by focusing on areas with the highest impact.
8. “We need to look after our nurses and equip them well, motivate them. If we do not deal with the nurse question we should forget about palliative care integration.”
Dr Emmanuel Luyirika, Executive Director of the African Palliative Care Association, in his presentation titled ‘Building blocks of health systems strengthening.’
Leave a Reply