HAU
Some experiences stay with you. They leave an imprint so deep and strong it never fades but becomes a companion, maybe even a lens through which to look at life differently.
Such was my visit to Hospice Africa in Uganda. It became something more than a mere memory or photo album. It opened a door onto a world where the most abject of poverty meshed cruelly with the appalling physical pain of end-stage AIDS and cancer. Into that tangle of lives lived someplace beyond despair or hope, came help and care and God help us, love.
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YEAR |
MILESTONES |
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1993 |
Feasibility study 4 countries from HAUK (Anne and Fazal), Uganda chosen |
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Minister of Health Dr J. Makumbi agrees to importation of powdered morphine |
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Morphine first reconstituted by Eithne, APSO volunteer in Nsambya Pharmacy |
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First tragedy: Fazal’s Father murdered in Eldoret |
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With enough money for 3 months for 3 employees, service officially commenced 23 September for cancer patients. Base VMM House, Nsambya Hospital, loaned by Irish Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (Sr Rosemary Needham), Residence and service, 3 in team, Dr Anne, Fazal, Mark driver. British High Commission gave 10 year old Land Rover for Home visits
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1994 |
First training for Health professionals in Davies Lecture theatre, Medical School |
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HAU moved to Ndebbe, house owned by Henry Mary Kateregga and given rent free. Home inMuyenga for Anne & Fazal. Fazal left early 94 for family commitments due to family tragedy. Rose then Martha, first permanent Ugandan Nurses, joined |
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Undergrad medical students commenced PC under dept of Surgery thanks to Head Professor Ignatius Kakande |
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First research on pain in AIDS: conclusion: using same methods as for cancer, pain could be relieved but over shorter periods. AIDS patients admitted for PC |
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Survive gave us LR ambulance (new) for home visits and patient care |
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Irish Aid bought and renovated present Merriman House andmoved in, August and opened in October 1994 by Irish Charge d’affairs. |
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First Board constituted with Henry Mary Kateregga as Chair. |
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Registered as NGO in Uganda no.1064 |
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1995 |
MichealMcGoldrick, APSO volunteer joins HAU for 2 years and converts kitchen into pharmacy where morphine is made for the first time on our premises. |
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Second tragedy: Loss of new ambulance in crash into drain in Makindye Road |
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1997 |
First review of HAU by Ian Dolan |
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Kateregga house completed and opened. Supported by Irish Aid and Jersey Overseas Aid, through Ann Baillhache. |
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1998 |
Mobile Hospice Mbarara (MHM) commenced January to support education in second medical school at MUST and provide service to Mbarara and surrounding Districts. |
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Conference to bring all stake holders together to work with MoH. Dr Jan Stjenrsward led and DrJakc Jagwe joins HAU and Chairs new committee to study need for PC in MoH. |
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June, Little Hospice Hoima commenced n shop front without water and electricity to demonstrate PC in poorer rural areas. |
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1999 |
Palliative Care Association of Uganda commenced at HAU to strengthen networking in Uganda and to reach all in need with follow up and essential medications |
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Education Dept formalised with Rose Kiwanuka as lead |
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2000 |
First Ugandan MD counterpart to Dr Anne training began |
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Millenium grant allowed first trainings by International Programmes for Tanzania and importation for powdered morphine secured with MoH, TZI. |
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2001 |
Proposal to change statute to allow Nurses and Clinical Officers (Cos) to prescribe morphine, brought to Parliament |
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Dr EkieKikule completes successfully her land mark research in felt needs for palliative care from patients and carers in Uganda. This was her dissertation for MPH in Makerere. |
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WHO hold meeting of five African countries in Uganda, of Palliative care needs. Research parallel to Dr Ekie’s is takenup in 5 countries. Uganda Country Team commenced to coordinate with MoH all services involved in service provision of cancer and AIDS.Meetingg quarterly since. |
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2002 |
Dr Ekie appointed first CED of HAU. |
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2003 |
10 years Makindye and five years LHH and MHM with clebrations |
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APCA steering group commenced and their firstoffice at HAU. Secured rented accommodation and renovated it, for permanent offices in Makindye for APCA. |
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BMJ published special edition on dying including research articles on Uganda felt need (Dr Ekie) and WHO reporting on 5 African countries felt needs (Cecilia Sepulveda). |
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International programmes (Dr Jagwe and AM) finished first grant from Diana Fund with advocacy resulting in morphine powder importation eventually secured through MoHs in 5 African countries: Malawi, Tanzania, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia, |
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Statute changed in Parliament allowing Nurses and COs trained at Hospice to prescribe oral morphine thus increasing prescribers where so few doctors. Specialist Diploma commenced at HAU. |
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2004 |
First Conference of APCA in Arusha organised by Steering group through HAU. Large grant given to APCA from HA, to support this conference, when money was delayed coming from US and Hotel about to be cancelled. First Board created. AM first Vice Chair and Founding Member. Faith Mwangi Powell first CED appointed with support from US. Employed first team members for new premises. |
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2005 |
APCA commenced and later bought same premises as permanent home in Makindye. |
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Nina Shalita appointed second CED. USAID large grant commenced for 3 years. |
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2006 |
PCAU commenced in own premises with team independent of HAU. Spearheaded by Rose Kiwanuka, first Hospice Nurse in 1993, and now with degree. |
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2007 |
Intensive Advocacy meetings with Makerere Medical school, re forming a Unit in PC under Dept of Medicine |
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2008 |
USAID large grant secured for further 5 years |
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Makerere agreed to work of steering committee to form PCU. Founding lead was Dr MhoiraLeng. |
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2009 |
Education dept given Institute status to confer own Diplomas. |
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International Programmes of HA, commences 5 week training for Initiators from other African countries |
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2010 |
1 Year gap in CED coverage using locums. Reorganisation of HAU team carried out latter 2010-11 resulting in salvaging of problem area. |
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2011 |
Third CED appointed. |
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Diplomas conferred on 95 Diploma graduates in Uganda, as prescribers of morphine and specialists in PC. |
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Degree programme commenced with Makerere conferring Institute degrees |
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AM appointed Makerere Honorary Professor of Palliative Care |
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2012 |
First degrees completed. |
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IP continues supporting up to 10 countries with training in their own countries and at Hospice. First training for Francophone countries held in Cameroon. 7th Programme for Anglophone completed. |
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Institute Council formed to report to National Council for academic affairs. |
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First Ugandan Professor Wilson Acuda, appointed as Principal of Institute. |
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2013 |
Second Initiators programme for Francophone countries. |
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20th year celebrations |
The story of Hospice Africa in Uganda is a miracle, made up of little miracles like YOU. What opened the door to allow 2 people with enough money for 3 months for 3 team members to move to so many countries in Africa in 20 years, not only through the work of HAU but also through the three other NGOs commenced through the vision? It was brining affordable medications, knowledge and procurement of, to Uganda that allowed professional palliative care to commence and to move. Through the help of the Ministry of Health, who have supported us since Dr James Makumbi allowed us to first import morphine powder for reconstitution in 1993.
But palliative care is much more than morphine I hear you say? Of course, but how can you bring comfort and inner meaning support and practical help to a patient who cannot confide in you or anyone else because of horrendous and continuous and often increasing pain. They have seen other friends with cancer die a painful death. So they are hopeless as well until this pain is relieved and they are free to think of their future, to plan for the future of their loved ones and to make peace with loved ones and their God.
20 years of Hospice Africa Uganda
Theme: ‘20 years of Palliative Care - Looking to a future without pain’
Hospice Africa Uganda
Hospice Africa Uganda (HAU) is a model Palliative Care organization for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Hospice Africa Uganda (HAU), that started in 1993 with the aim of supporting affordable, suitable and accessible Palliative Care for those in need in Uganda and other African countries. 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.
The objectives of HAU are:
• To provide an appropriate Palliative Care service to patients with HIV/AIDS and/or cancer and their families within defined operational areas.
• To provide PC education through a tertiary level institution to PC service providers in Uganda and other African countries, through advocacy, education and stakeholder training.
• To facilitate the initiation and expansion of palliative care services in other African countries.
Hospice Africa Uganda provides and supports palliative care (PC) for people living with life threatening illnesses and their families. The initial Palliative Care services targeting Cancer patients, extended to people living with HIV/AIDS (PHAs) in 1994. HAU is today an accredited leader and one of the few institutions in Uganda and Sub Saharan Africa to provide and build capacity for pain and symptom management and end of life care (HAU provides and supports palliative care interventions in accordance with WHO definition). HAU aims to be a model of affordable and culturally acceptable PC service and a center of education and advocacy.
Interview with Francis Okongo, IHPCA graduate and candidate for BSc in Palliative Care
International - 28 February 2013
ehospice interviewed Francis Okongo, specialist palliative care clinician at St Mary’s Hospital Lacor in Gulu, Uganda, and a ... Read More
A very inspirational book by Dr. Anne Merriman.
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