COMMEMORATING THE WORLD HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE DAY (WHPCD) 2016 IN UGANDA.

CONCEPT NOTE.

  1. Introduction

Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.

World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD) takes place on the second Saturday of October every year. It is a unified day of action to celebrate and support hospice and palliative care around the world.The theme of this year’s WHPCD is “Living and Dying in Pain: It doesn’t have to Happen”.

The 2016 event will be held on 8th October 2016 globally but the event in Uganda shall be held on Saturday 15th October 2016 at Old Kampala Primary School Playground.The main activity at this event will be aimed at creating awareness and to promote collaboration for advancement of palliative care services in Uganda. There will be;soccer gala among teams composed of staff from Palliative Care Organizations in the Country.

  1. Brief Background about Palliative Care Services in Uganda

Palliative Care was introduced in Uganda with the establishment of Hospice Africa Uganda in 1993. Since then, Uganda has made considerable progress in the field of palliative care, including the establishment of a conducive environment that favors the guidelines by the Ministry of Health (MoH) to support implementation of WHO-recommended palliative care treatments.

The MoH, working in partnership with the Palliative Care Association of Uganda (PCAU) and other partners (both public and private) havemade tremendous progress to ensure that there is affordable and culturally appropriate palliative care in the country’s health system. Uganda is therefore considered to be a model for palliative Care in Africa due to progressive policies, strong advocacy, and active palliative care organizations.

However, Pain management remains inaccessible to most people who need it. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1% of a country’s total population is in need of palliative care at any given time, this means that approximately 350,000 people in Uganda need palliative care services. Only 10% of these are presently accessing the services however.

  1. 2016 Palliative Care Soccer Gala Event to Commemorate the WHPCD

PCAU, which is the National Coordinating NGO for the Palliative Care Organizations in Uganda is organizing a one day soccer gala event for the organizations involved in palliative care work. Due to the fact that this will be a one day event, a total of13 teams (organizations) are expected to register to participate in the football competition event. The teams shall be registered on first come first serve basis.The teams shall be composed of current Members of Staff at their respective Organizations. All participating organizations and sponsoring corporate companies shall be invited to take up exhibition spaces at the venue.

  1. Purpose of the 2016 Palliative Care Soccer Gala Event

The purpose of this event is to bring together palliative care stake holders in Uganda and commemorate the WHPCD 2016, by having a single voice to create awareness and to promote collaboration for advancement of palliative care in the country.

  1. Specific Objectives of the event:

a)To bring together palliative care stakeholders in Uganda at a single event to commemorate the WHPCD 2016.

b)To raise awareness on palliative care needs for all ages of people and vulnerable groups so as to extend care to all in need while ensuring provision of quality services.

c)To advocate for palliative care services through delivery of key note addresses to government officials prior, during and after the event.

d)To exhibit works of Organizations offering Palliative Care Services in the Country.

e)To bring together palliative care practitioners from participating organizations to enhance collaboration and networking, celebrate achievements on progress made, exercise through playing football, share experiences, challenges and draw a way forward.

  1. Organizations and Institutions expected to participate in the event

A number organizations listed below have participated in this event in the past years and others listed are expected to participate this year.

  • Ministry of Health (MOH)
  • Palliative Care Association of Uganda (PCAU)
  • Joint Medical Stores (JMS)
  • African Palliative Care Association (APCA)
  • Uganda Child Cancer Fund (UCCF)
  • National Medical Stores (NMS)
  • Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC)
  • Comprehensive Rehabilitative Services Uganda (CoRSU)
  • Kawempe Home Care (KHC)
  • Uganda Cancer Society (UCS)
  • The AIDs Support Organization (TASO)
  • Reach Out Mbuya
  • Mildmay Uganda
  • Hospice Africa Uganda (HAU)
  • Mother Mary Cancer Palliative Care Center
  • National Drug Authority (NDA)
  • Uganda Network of Law, Ethics and HIV (UGANET)
  • Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI)
  • Infectious Dieses Institute (IDI)
  • Makerere Palliative Care Unit (MPCU)
  1. Planned activates

a)Media campaigns including press briefing.

b)Public awareness match led by a brass band at the event venue.

c)Football competition between teams of participating palliative care organizations

d)Event awards (Best team, 2nd & 3rd Runner up, most disciplined team, best female player) including certificates to all participating teams.

e)Health camp.

f)Exhibitions by Palliative Care Organizations

g)Key note address

  1. Target audience of the event

The event is expected to be attended by a total of 500 people of the following categories

a)Policy Makers, the Government -Ministry officials.

b)Civil Society and Human Rights organizations.

c)Development partners including donors and UN Agencies.

d)Palliative Care Organizations in the Country

e)Members of the Media and the press

f)Students from Higher Institutions of learning

g)Members of the Media.

h)The general Public.

  1. Expected outcome of the event

a)500 people including palliative Care practitioners attend the WHPCD 2016 event.

b)At least 10 Media articles and stories on promotion and advancement of palliative care services for all ages published and aired on Uganda media.

c)Commitment by participating policy makers on promoting and advancing the Palliative Care agenda at respective policy making levels.

d)Networking and partnership strategies built by palliative care participating organizations.

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