Hope Worldwide in Abidjan is partnering with the
African Palliative Care Association (APCA) in Kampala, Uganda, to increase the availability of appropriate
palliative care drugs in Côte d’Ivoire.
Launched in April 2007, this south-south partnership is developing a
country-specific advocacy program and strengthening networks and linkages among health and social support organizations to improve the provision of palliative care in this West African nation of 20.6 million.
Program accomplishments to date include:
- Completion of a comprehensive capacity
assessment of Hope Worldwide’s organizational systems and palliative care services conducted by the APCA partners;
- A one-day fundraising training for Hope Worldwide to help them expand donor support;
- Development and implementation of a holistic, home-based palliative care package and care kit for community caregivers; and
- Development, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and other key stakeholders, National
Standards and Guidelines for Palliative Care.
Partners are currently collaborating with the National AIDS Task Force to develop an advocacy implementation plan for Côte d’Ivoire; mapping community-based palliative care organizations and the types of services they provide; and conducting a quality assessment of home-based palliative care services.
Key outcomes achieved through this partnership include the formation of ASPCI - the national palliative care association - and the adoption of national guidelines for the use of opioids in pain management. Although it was slated to graduate from the Twinning Center's technical assistance program in 2010, this was delayed due to post-election instability within the country; partners have therefore been working on closeout activities in 2011 and expect to receive direct funding from the Ministry of Health and PEPFAR in the future.
Through the partnership, Hope Worldwide's organizational capacity was greatly strengthened and CDC/Côte d’Ivoire, the US funding agency in country, rated AIHA's performance at the highest level.
Updated November 14, 2011
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