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Kenya’s First Nurse to Attain a PhD in Palliative Care – Dr. Jostine Mutinda
It was joy and jubilation for 5171 graduands as JKUAT marked her 37th graduation ceremony that saw the conferment of degrees and award of diplomas by the Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ndung’u. The ceremony that witnessed 56 PhD graduates conferred degrees was special...
New policy to boost uptake of palliative care
For a long time, palliative care has been associated with cancer patients, but this is now changing. Patients with other long-term critical illnesses are taking up these services. Palliative care is the support patients receive with the active, progressive,...
Launch of The Kenyan Palliative Care Policy by Her Excellency Margaret Kenyatta
In Kenya, the development of palliative care has come a long way since the first palliative care centre opened its doors in 1990. Nairobi Hospice, a member of the Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association, has been spearheading the provision of palliative care...
“I used to think hospice care or palliative care was for cancer patients only.”
“I used to think hospice care or palliative care was for cancer patients only.” Said Clare Akinyi. There is a wide misconception about palliative care. Some people have not heard of it. For some who have heard about it, they believe it is meant for cancer patients...
New Kid on the block
Makindu Palliative Care Unit (PCU) is currently the new PCU in Kenya. Makindu hospital is located off the Nairobi - Mombassa Highway, in Makueni County. The unit was opened on 22nd February 2021 to serve patients with palliative care needs. “The official launch will...
Psychological Support in Palliative Care
Psychological health and support are important in every stage and season in life but more so in Persons Living with Palliative Care Needs (PLWPCNs). It is important that psychological care is provided to PLWPCNs and their families. This can be done through a range of...
Mother with cancer opts to give up kids
Inside a room marked nine, a fading figure inscribed on the door of a tiny single-roomed house in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum, is a woman facing the hardest decision of her life. She is battling cervical cancer and has no close family to take care of her. The disease is...
Economic and Social Consequences of Cancer in Kenya
“We need to enhance Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Let’s enhance more resources especially in palliative care.” H.E Hon. Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o Governor for Kisumu County. Palliative Care is critical in the role of global cancer care although many people living in...
Palliative Care Saved my Life
Although a misunderstood aspect of healthcare, it became a lifesaver for Perpetua Ngumi and Florence Nyambura, and experts now urge more Kenyans to consider it. When Perpetua Ngumi was diagnosed with stage 3B cervical cancer in 2004, she never thought there...
ANOTHER CELEBRATION FOR MERU PALLIATIVE CARE CHAMPIONS
The wise old saying by Leo Buscaglia confirms the true reality of making palliative care dream come true in other sub-county hospitals in Meru. “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the...
PPEs are Important for Health Care Workers in the Fight against COVID-19
“Kilifi County Referral Hospital has received PPE. Thank you KEHPCA for your continued support.” Those are some of the words that keep us going at Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association (KEHPCA). They give us a reason to wake up every morning to do what we do....
Nyeri County to Train over 2,500 Volunteers on Palliative Care
Nyeri County is working on a programme to train some of its community health volunteers (CHVs) to assist patients in need of palliative care. Palliative care is a service that relieves pain, symptoms, and stress caused by serious injuries or illnesses. According to...
Experts want NHIF to Cover End-of-Life Care
Experts are in talks with the National Hospital Insurance Fund to expand its coverage to include end-of-life palliative care. The initiative led by Nyeri Deputy Governor Dr. Caroline Karugu aims to ensure timely access to palliative care by all Kenyans. Palliative...
Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association Announces Kenya’s Goodwill Ambassador for Palliative Care
Nyeri Deputy Governor Dr. Caroline Karugu has been unveiled as the Palliative Care Ambassador in Kenya. The announcement was made on Thursday by the Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association (KEHPCA) at a Nairobi Hotel. Karugu has been very passionate when it...
Launch of Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital Cancer Clinic
Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital (NTRH) is located in the cosmopolitan Laikipia County. It has the highest workload in the region compared to its physical capacity. It is a Level 4 hospital that serves over 50,000 patients in a quarter. The cancer clinic was...