A Think Africa report on a pioneering pain relief treatment model provided by Hospice Africa:
Triggered by a general unavailability of morphine:
Triggered by a general unavailability of morphine:
Indigenising the model:Considered essential by the World Health Organisation (WHO), morphine costs relatively little to provide. But 80% of the world’s population lacks access to this treatment. In fact, where demand is highest, access to pain relief is at its lowest. Low- and middle-income countries, which account for 70% of cancer deaths and 99% of HIV-related deaths, consume just 6% of the world’s medicinal opioids.
A shelf of bottles containing oral morphine at Hospice Africa Uganda. Photograph by Hospice Africa Uganda.
“Pain relief is a central component to palliative care”, says Dr Emmanuel Luyirika, Executive Director of the African Palliative Care Association. “Without the immediate release of oral morphine, it’s impossible to manage moderate to severe pain.”
...a number of models of pain treatment in Africa have allowed palliative care on the continent to grow, providing opportunities for governments and organisations to collaborate and learn.More here
Hospice Africa Uganda offered the earliest model designed for the African setting. Founded by Dr Anne Merriman in 1993, HAU has long provided oral morphine for a growing numbers of patients. Two years ago it broadened the reach of this drug significantly when Uganda ran out of stock. Encouraged by The Global Action for Pain Relief Initiative (GAPRI), an NGO working to spread awareness of palliative care methods, the hospice tendered for the contract and has since been selling stocks to the Ugandan government for national distribution.