Setting the standards
Through an Elton John AIDS Foundation-funded project, the African Palliative Care Association is developing palliative care standards relevant to all types of service delivery models in Africa, including home-based care (HBC) / supportive programmes, new initiatives, primary level services and specialist palliative care programmes, amongst others.
As part of the three-year project, a review of HBC models for people living with HIV was completed in Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya; a similar review is scheduled for Malawi. The results of this multi-country review are being used to inform the development of palliative care standards that are appropriate to HBC providers, as well as other service provider types (e.g. specialist palliative care services).
More recently, a stakeholders’ meeting was conducted in Kampala, Uganda, attended by representatives of national palliative care associations and their member organisations (representing South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Uganda). The meeting provided recommendations for further work on the development and implementation of palliative care standards across the continent.
Participants reviewed the presentation format and content for existing palliative care standards from different countries within and outside Africa. This exercise provided useful insights into the nature of the standards required for the continent, including:
- Standards should clarify the current issues of confusion and tension between HBC and palliative care providers across Africa;
- Standards should be based on levels and structures of health care service delivery in Africa and must be clear on what is essential (i.e. the minimum) and what is desirable (i.e. aspirational);
- It is essential to bring on board relevant international, regional and national level bodies who are key players in health care policies, guidelines, regulations and standards;
Key areas for Africa’s care standards were agreed and a recommendation for a presentation format was agreed.
Within the next few months, APCA and its stakeholders will continue to review existing standards to guide the drafting, review and finalisation its care standards.