Key Highlights
The 7th National Palliative Care Conference, co-hosted by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association (KEHPCA), was successfully held from 25th to 27th February 2026 in Mombasa, Kenya. The conference was a resounding success, bringing together over 300 participants for a robust national conversation on palliative care. It convened key stakeholders across the health sector to advance dialogue, share best practices, and showcase innovations in palliative care delivery, while reinforcing the integration of quality palliative care into Kenya’s health system and strengthening advocacy toward universal access to compassionate, comprehensive care.
Dive into the most exciting moments & reports via the links below
THE MISSING CONVERSATION; SEXUAL REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH IN LIFE-LIMITING ILLNESSES WORKSHOP
SUPPORTED BY AMPLIFY CHANGE
https://youtu.be/mdHBVD_G51M?si=Wt6s6grvReczSZhp
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GV3vHRmBW/
Figure 1: SRH workshop in session
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Date 25 February 2026 |
Delegates Attended 176 conference delegates |
Sexual and reproductive health has long been an uncomfortable silence in palliative care — a need that exists but is rarely spoken about. At the 7th National Palliative Care Conference, KEHPCA set out to change that.
A dedicated half-day workshop titled “The Missing Conversation: Sexual and Reproductive Health in Life-Limiting Illnesses” supported by AmplifyChange drew 176 delegates, making it one of the most well-attended sessions of the conference.
The workshop featured three specialist facilitators who explored sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in palliative care from clinical, ethical, and practical perspectives. The first session, facilitated by Mr. Phillip Odiyo, focused on the clinical intersection of sexual medicine and palliative care, introducing the concept of oncosexuality and equipping participants with structured approaches to initiating SRH conversations in clinical practice. The second session, led by Dr. Abeid Athman, addressed the ethical and human rights dimensions of SRH, challenging the perception of SRH as a peripheral concern and reinforcing the importance of dignity-centred care for all patients, including older persons, LGBTQ2AIS individuals, and those in high-stigma contexts. The third session, facilitated by Dr. Anisa Mburu, translated these concepts into practice through interactive case discussions, demonstrating the use of structured tools such as the PLISSIT model and the Traffic Light Sexual Distress Triage, with emphasis on documentation as an essential clinical practice rather than an administrative task.
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Session 1 Mr. Phillip Odiyo Clinical intersection of sexual medicine and palliative care; introducing oncosexuality and structured approaches to initiating SRH conversations in clinical practice. |
Session 2 Dr. Abeid Athman Ethical and human rights dimensions of SRH; dignity-centred care for older persons, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those in high-stigma contexts. |
Session 3 Dr. Anisa Mburu Practical application via interactive case discussions; PLISSIT model, Traffic Light Sexual Distress Triage, and clinical documentation as an essential practice. |
The workshop was highly interactive, with participants actively engaging in case discussions, sharing facility-level experiences, and reflecting on barriers and opportunities for integrating SRH into routine palliative care services.
A key milestone at the conference was the formal launch of the National Palliative Care Guidelines 2026, which, following sustained KEHPCA advocacy, now explicitly incorporates sexual and reproductive health as a core component of holistic palliative care. This policy advancement represents one of the most significant and enduring outcomes of the project, embedding SRH within the national framework that guides palliative care delivery in Kenya.
Figure 2: SRH Workshop facilitators posing for a group photo from Right; Mr. Phillip Odiyo (Sexologist), Emily Macharia (KEHPCA). Dr. Anisa Mburu (SRH expert) and Dr. Abeid Athman (Oncologists & SRH expert)
KENYA CONFERENCE EXPANDS UNDERSTANDING OF PALLIATIVE CARE’S COMPLEXITY.
“I love you” is the message being signed by Rita Anindo of Community Voices Network (left) and IAHPC Scholar Josephine Muya, an administrator at KEHPCA, at the Kenya palliative care conference in Mombasa in February. All photos in this article are used with permission.
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