As cancer prevalence and other life-limiting illnesses continue to rise in Uganda, palliative care has become a critical service for alleviating suffering, managing pain, and improving quality of life.
Unfortunately, many patients and families still believe that palliative care is limited or unavailable. In reality, Uganda has made remarkable strides in integrating palliative care into the health system, with multiple access points across the country.
The Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI), working with national and regional partners, is committed to ensuring that patients and their families know where and how they can receive these essential services.
What is palliative care?
Palliative care is a holistic approach that goes beyond medical treatment.
It relieves pain and other symptoms while also addressing psychosocial, spiritual, and emotional needs. It is not restricted to end-of-life care; it can begin early in the course of an illness, even alongside curative treatment.
UCI, together with partners such as the African Palliative Care Association (APCA) and the Palliative Care Association of Uganda (PCAU), continues to advocate for accessible, affordable, and high-quality palliative care for all Ugandans. Through PCAU, palliative care is now available in more than 100 districts across Uganda.
Services are offered in many public health facilities, including national and regional referral hospitals, district and general hospitals, and Health Centre IVs.
This expansion means that even in rural areas, patients may find palliative care closer to home. Families are encouraged to ask at their local health units whether such services are offered.
Specialist organisations
In addition to hospital-based care, Uganda has several hospices and specialist organisations offering comprehensive palliative care. Hospice Africa Uganda (HAU), operating in Kampala, Mbarara, and Hoima, provides outpatient care, home visits, psychosocial and spiritual support, and outreach clinics.
HAU also produces oral liquid morphine in partnership with the Government of Uganda, ensuring access to essential pain relief.
Rays of Hope Hospice in Jinja City serves the Busoga region with home-based palliative care and outreach services. Kabale Christian Care in southwestern Uganda offers holistic palliative services alongside psychosocial support and cancer care assistance.
Joy Health Centre and Hospice in Mbale provides specialist outpatient and inpatient palliative care, home visits, and end-of-life support. Many of these organisations extend their services to patients’ homes, making care more accessible to families who cannot travel.
The role of APCA
The African Palliative Care Association, headquartered in Kampala, plays both a continental and national role in strengthening palliative care.
APCA supports advocacy, training, and policy development, ensuring that palliative care is prioritised in national health systems. Its close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, PCAU, and UCI helps expand service availability and improve quality standards.
Uganda is one of the first African countries to integrate palliative care into its public health system. Public service structures now include positions for palliative care specialists in national and regional hospitals.
Nurses and clinical officers trained in palliative care are authorised to prescribe oral liquid morphine, making pain relief more widely accessible.
Partnerships between the government and NGOs like HAU ensure local production and distribution of affordable morphine, bringing services closer to patients and reducing the financial burden of travelling long distances for care. Patients and families can access palliative care by checking with local facilities such as Health Centre IVs, district hospitals, or regional referral hospitals to inquire about services. They can also contact hospices and specialist organisations directly for information and home-based services.
PCAU maintains an updated directory of accredited facilities across Uganda, while APCA supports regional palliative care initiatives and can link patients to service providers.
Oral liquid morphine, a key pain relief medication, is available in public and NGO facilities, often free of charge.
Challenges
Despite the progress made, only about 11 percent of Ugandans who need palliative care currently have access to it. Some health centres lack trained staff, and awareness among patients and communities remains low. Myths that palliative care is ‘only for the dying’ also discourage timely uptake, leaving many to suffer unnecessarily.
UCI’s role
At UCI, palliative care is integrated into the treatment journey for cancer patients. The institute partners with APCA, PCAU, and Hospice Africa Uganda to expand referral networks and trains healthcare workers in palliative care and pain management. It also advocates for policy and system strengthening to ensure that no patient is left behind.