Pallative Care:Bana Nov 13-19 Capacity For Various Actors

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Thousands of patients in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from incurable diseases, mainly HIV-AIDS, advanced
cancer, hypertension and diabetes. These diseases seriously affect their well-being and that of their
families. Palliative care, also called comfort care, is intended primarily to provide support to people who
are terminally ill through symptom and pain management. The goal of palliative care is to improve the
quality of life, increasing comfort, promoting dignity and providing assistance to the sick person and his
family. Today, the concept has developed significantly and is suitable for anyone suffering from a serious
illness, regardless of age and gender. Palliative care can be administered concurrently with active
treatments to prolong life at an early stage of the life cycle of a disease. It is also applicable to the end of
life and bereavement period. The emphasis is not on death, but on compassionate specialized care for
the family affected by this loss.
This vital service is not available in most sub-Saharan African countries. In Cameroon, pain
management is not yet a public health priority for the Government, because it is not yet
integrated into its strategic plan. Populations and even some technical services of the state are
unaware of the benefits of this service. With a high level of stigmatisation of persons living with
HIV / AIDS and cancer in Bana, given that prevention has not achieved the desired effect and
curative services are not available or sometimes inappropriate, IDF found it important and even
urgent to introduce palliative care in the community.
Two members of IDF received training on capacity building in the field of palliative care and
organized the same training in Bamenda for its staff and other actors thanks to co-financing from
Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO). A mobile palliative care unit exists in its office in Bana and
sensitization on palliative care and capacity building of stakeholders was done in Bana. This was
the second workshop funded by the Africa Palliative Care Association (APCA), with equipment
provided by Palliative Care without Borders (SPSF) to educate the medical staff of Bana
subdivision, traditional healers and community volunteers on the importance of palliative care
and develop a joint strategy to promote such care to give hope to the terminally ill.
Unfolding:
The workshop took place in Bana from 13 to 16 November, 2013 under the theme: «Capacity
building of various stakeholders on the basic principles of palliative care.» The objectives of the
workshop were:

  • To train stakeholders on the basic principles of palliative care.
  • To organize teamwork and synergy between actors.
  • To develop individual action plans.

The team of moderators was made up of four medical doctors, a state-registered nurse and a
social engineer (two women and four men), who had the responsibility of training participants
from some hospitals (Banka Adlucem Hospital, Bafang District Hospital…), health centers
(Bakassa Health Center-Bana, Bana CMA…) and civil society organizations (IDF, Association of
Traditional Doctors) on the importance of palliative care and how to ensure effective palliative
care services in the different communities. Among the moderators was the president of the
Association of Palliative Care in Cameroon, Dr. Wefuan Jonah, and Dr. Fondoh, pharmacist
from the North West Regional Fund for Health, who did a demonstrative preparation of liquid
morphine.
The four-day workshop had a very rich and educative program:

  • Day One: Palliative care, concepts, approaches, models and practice in Bana. Reminder on the
    basics of HIV / AIDS and cancer, hypertension and diabetes and the relationship between HIV
    and Cancer. Assessment and control of pain
  • Day Two: Communication: Knowing oneself, reminder on palliative care and communication,
    how to announce the bad news. Hygiene and hand washing. Traditional medicine/AIDS/cancer.
    Gender and palliative care
  • Day Three: End of life care. Visits to patients in the Adlucem hospital in Bafang and in the
    community (Bafang, Bana). Discussion on visits in the community. The importance of a will
  • Day Four: Collaboration between IDF and stakeholders, individual action plans. How to make a
    family tree. Morphine and its importance in the control of pain and demonstrative preparation of
    liquid morphine solution. Palliative care in Cameroon. Final evaluation and closing activities

In conclusion, the IDF Coordinator thanked the participants for their participation and
collaboration during the workshop. She encouraged them to put what they learnt into practice in their
communities, highlighting the fact that participants will be informed of future trainings based on the
activities they will carry out in their communities. She said that, although the IDF office is not fully set
up, it is available to receive cases of patients needing palliative care in the communities and to do home
visits. The first home visit is free and the monthly visits that follow are five thousand frs per month to
cover a part of IDF’s fixed costs. She promised to share the report of the workshop with all those who
have an email address for observations, corrections and comments.
She thanked Dr. Wefuan, Dr. Fondoh , Dr Josephine, Dr Ponguey and Georges Ndikintum for their
valuable contribution.
She suggested that those who were interested in becoming members of the Hospice and Palliative Care
Association should contact IDF for their registration.
Participants exchanged contacts and the workshop ended in a note of joy and satisfaction.

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