Laikipia Palliative Care Centre located in Nanyuki County was officially launched on 7th April 2011. In attendance were the Laikipia District Commissioner who gave the key note address, government officials, non-governmental organizations, religious institutions, hospice volunteers, and members of the community.
Laikipia Palliative Care Centre (LPCC) is a charitable organization that was registered in November 2009 as a satellite branch of Nyeri Hospice. LPCC became fully functional in late 2010 and is in a unique position to provide needed services as it is the first and the only palliative care provider in this remote area of Kenya. LPCC cares for and supports patients and families facing life limiting illness, particularly cancer and HIV & AIDS. The hospice has a mobile and an outreach programme that have been setup to address the palliative care needs of the urban, rural and remote areas of Laikipia.
Laikipia is home to a diverse population of ethnic communities: The Kikuyu people make up about 60% of the population, with the remainder comprising other ethnic groups such as Maasai, Samburu, Meru, Borana, Kelenjin, Somali, Turkana and Pokot. This region covers an area of 9,500 sq kms and supports a population of approximately 420,000 people. Whilst tourism and agriculture play a role in the economy, the vast majority of people (80 percent) live in rural areas and subsist as pastoralists and cultivators with some nomadic groups in the north. The life of the average person in this region is largely shaped by the search for water and grazing land for their animals. Parts of Laikipia are harsh and inhospitable, with poor road infrastructure, making travel between urban centres and outlying areas extremely difficult.
Managed by Joyce Marete – Programme co-ordinator, LPCC takes services to patients, at home, At local private and public Hospitals, and at a mobile and outreach service point set in the community once a month.
LPCC is supported by Nyeri and Meru Hospices, by way of technical support, provision of pain medication, and loan of a vehicle for home visits. The team also work in partnership with Nanyuki Cottage Hospital to reach the hard to reach migratory population through their monthly outreaches in Ngushishi, Naibor, Nyarenyiro, countrywide and Chumvi-Lolmarik regions.
LPCC are Institutional Members of KEHPCA and are supported by the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Foundation, the True Colours Trust and City of Hope.