Hospice Africa Ireland: News & Events

Report from Dr. Anne Merriman: (DPIP)
March 2008

The below advocacy programmes are covered in this issue under conferences and the section on the Third Objective.

Networking continues to be important for advocacy at all levels. For the patients and families the centre of our care, we network with other organisations providing aspects of care not provided in HAU eg ARV treatments, orphans and vulnerable children projects.

PCAU (Palliative Care Association of Uganda) is now coordinating all services throughout the Districts and HAU is still the main organisation bringing training and oral morphine to Districts throughout Uganda. However all those trained in palliative care, mainly by Mildmay or Hospice Uganda, are networking with TASO, AVSI and other district branches and all carers are coming together, coordinated by the branches of PCAU as they spread to the Districts. See in Education chapter p.

Uganda Country Palliative Care Team:
All members of the Advocacy team are members of Country Palliative Care Team, chaired by MOH, and this meeting has a large advocacy role in palliative care in the country. This year, we had only one meeting. The meeting focused on problems of morphine reaching all throughout the country, training programmes and needs for further training to increase the accessibility of palliative care to village level.

Uganda Women’s Initiative:
‘’Uganda Women’s Health Initiative (UWHI) Conference, Uganda’’: This collaboration between University College London, Makerere University, Mulago Hospital and Hospice Africa Uganda has 8 projects in Uganda related to Women’s Health, from Post Partum Haemorrhage, through Cervical Cancer Screening to Palliative Care. Funding from this programme is supporting the specialist registrar in palliative medicine presently attached to HAU but being groomed for the first lectureship in Makerere PMU.

We are grateful to all who have promoted and supported our work with the inspiration from our patients and families, which energises us to promote the meeting of need.

Report from Manjit Kaur
Senior HIV/AIDS Policy and Technical Advisor (SAPTA)
This past year has been a time of consolidation and strengthening advocacy efforts. Manjit’s main role has continued in: supporting Hospice AIDS policies; providing cross cutting technical support to clinical and education teams as well as finance/admin; securing additional HIV/AIDS funding (Civil Society Fund (CSF)); and coordinating USAID and CSF grants.

Main activities this last year included:

Activities	Brief Narration
Advocacy and Communication Strategies	Development of HAU’s advocacy and communication strategies, supported by USAID- AIDS Capacity Enhancement project (ACE). This process was interactive and involved many of the stakeholders at Hospice. These comprehensive strategies will enable HAU improve internal and external communication and support HAU’s goal of broadening the reach of palliative care. The team shall be equipped to tell the Hospice story, and to advocate effectively for policy change and the increased provision and training in palliative care in pain and symptom control for HIV/AIDS. The team will also be trained to document and share best practice in palliative care.
Development of communication materials	Initiated review of existing communication materials and supported development of Information Education Communication (IEC) materials that will enhance general understanding of palliative care. This year, HAU has sought to develop communication materials to address ‘morphine myths and misconceptions’. 2 sets of 'morphine myths messages' targeting Health Professionals and community members have been developed, and the materials (inter-active DVD and discussion guide, information leaflets) are in the finalisation stage. The DVDs and information leaflets will be used for advocacy during our training activities and delivery of care. The DVD has been approved by WHO, MOH, National Drug Authority. Redesign and update HAU Web site. The communication audit identified the redesign and update of the HAU Web site as a need to be addressed.
Documentation and sharing	Hospice experience is being documented and shared. Some of HAU’s work, lessons and success stories/case studies have been presented at workshops, meetings and major conferences (national and international) while others have been published in journals and papers and posted on Hospice website or newsletter.
Uganda AIDS Commission	SAPTA is a active member of various UAC technical working groups such as care and support, M&E Participated in the development of: the National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan 2007/8-2011/12; National AIDS Priority Action Plan (to guide, operationalise and track the National Strategic Plan implementation); National Comprehensive HIV/AIDS communication strategy; UNAIDS country HIV/AIDS (UNGASS) report Jan 06- Dec 07
Consultations and advisory activities	Regular participation in various HIV and AIDS consultations and stakeholder meetings/workshops such as Uganda National AIDS Support Organisation (UNASO), National Hygiene Improvement Project for hygiene and HIV/AIDS Integration (HIP); Civil Society Inter Consistency Coordination Committee (CICC), International NGO forum for HIV/AIDS (INGO); PSI/CDC HIV Basic Care Programme; Stop AIDS Now (SAN Project). Technical input provided at these meetings re palliative care and HIV/AIDS
PCAU	Represent HAU on PCAU finance committee and 3rd national palliative care conference committee Supported PCAU in advocating for ‘palliative care across the ages- from children to older people’ during ‘World Hospice Day October 2007 Quarterly PCAU updates supported in Kampala, Mbarara and Hoima
Events/Exhibitions	Hospice was involved in and participated in - Health Sector Assembly meeting and exhibition, MOH (Oct 2007) - World AIDS Day and Candlelight memorial events at the three Hospice districts UAC 5th National AIDS Conference (March 2008) and exhibition
Sensitisation/raising awareness activities	Supported HAU education and clinical teams in their sensitisation and awareness raising activities

Hospice has meaningfully engaged in advocating for palliative care in HIV and AIDS care and support sector. As a result of this Hospice has received strong support from UAC and MoH for palliative care, and acknowledgment that HAU activities are a huge support to efforts to increase countrywide coverage of palliative care

Advocacy programmes in conjunction with African palliative care Association (APCA):
APCA continues the initial work of Hospice Africa Uganda in promoting the use of affordable oral morphine in the countries of Africa. Dr. Jagwe has been involved with the preparation and actual programmes in Ghana and Namibia this year. Ghana covered countries in W Africa and Namibia the countries in Southern Africa.