In an effort to scale up palliative care service provision, KEHPCA organized and conducted a sensitization workshop in Embu provincial hospital where 31 participants were in attendance and received basic information about palliative care. Plans are underway to begin a hospice/palliative care unit within Embu provincial hospital. This meeting took place on 16th April 2009.
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Welcome to KEHPCA
The Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association (KEHPCA) which is the National Association, was formed to represent Hospices and Palliative care service providers in Kenya. The aim of the association is to scale up Palliative Care services in the country to bridge the very significant gap between those who get the services and those in need of the services. This encompasses addressing issues of accessibility, affordability and quality of the services. KEHPCA strives to develop effective working relationships and arrangements with various stakeholders, namely development partners & donors, bureaucrats, technocrats, legislators, regulators and interest groups to achieve her aim. The Association’s main activities include awareness & advocacy, education & training research, service delivery, programme developments and fund raising.
Bill Gates once said, “I believe we have more caring than we know what to do with ”. Let’s join hands and mobilize resources in order to provide care to those with incurable diseases and their families.
Sakata Dimba na KEHPCA!
KEHPCA is organizing a football tournament, for under 14s as Palliative Care ambassadors starting in four regions in Kenya, namely; Nairobi, Central, Western and Eastern province. The final matches will be held on 9th and 10th October 2009 when we celebrate the “World Hospice and Palliative Care Day.” In the morning there will be a procession from Nairobi Hospice to Nyayo stadium to raise awareness on Palliative Care. The theme of the day is “Discovering your voice.”
News
Nyeri Hospice has won a development award in the international Journal of Palliative nursing. The awards were held at the Landmark Hotel, London on the evening of 20th March 2009 to celebrate the outstanding work carried out by palliative nurses worldwide. Read more..
KEHPCA e-Newsletter
KEHPCA communication team is pleased to announce the launch of the first e-newsletter. This is the first edition highlighting the events of 2008 and we look forward to more publications in the future. Please click hereStop Stockouts Campaign
The association in collaboration with other partners both local and regional has participated in a campaign to stop stock-outs of essential medicines in Kenya. The official launch of this campaign took place on 25th February 2009 at Panafric Hotel Nairobi. One drug for pain control which is very vital in managing moderate to severe pain is morphine. The drug is very expensive due to the heavy taxation levied during its importation and therefore often unavailable. For more details read more....
New Kid on the block! Kakamega Hospice By Dr. Zipporah Ali
Hold fast onto Dreams, for if dreams fly, life is like a broken winged bird that cannot fly…I have always been inspired by these great words by the African American Poet, Langston Hughes, ever since I was in my early teens.
As KEHPCA, we have dreams, dreams to see palliative care accessible to everyone who needs it across the country, and that every health facility in Kenya will soon be able to provide palliative care as part of its essential services. These dreams are finally becoming realities!
In February 2008, despite the post election violence that was so evident in Kenya, I traveled to Kakamega, a town in Western Kenya, to meet with the Kakamega Provincial Hospital management team. They were very receptive to the idea of starting palliative care services within the hospital. In May 2008, KEHPCA Program Officer David Musyoki Jesca Nganga Training Coordinator of Nairobi Hospice and I, left for Kakamega town to hold a three-day training workshop for health care professionals, on Introduction to Palliative Care (Supported by both Help the Hospices and Open Society Institute). We were joined by Dr. Julius Onyango and Silvia Otieno of Kisumu Hospice, and Dr. Elijah Kerich, a palliative care doctor newly posted to Kakamega.
The participants were drawn from all the eight districts in Kakamega province. The training was very well received and I must say it was a great success, as it led to the birth of Kakamega Hospice, one beautiful room within the hospital! Kakamega Hospice started seeing patients in February 2009 and currently they have 30 patients. I visited the hospice on 28th April 2009, and was overwhelmed with how much they are doing and the positive spirit they have within the team despite very merger resources! Nurses Rose Otera and Caroline Okemba, who run the hospice, are so eager to talk about the difference the hospice has brought to their patients! ‘Daktari (doctor), we have never felt so happy to see out patients finally relieved of their suffering, both physical and emotional’ they say to me.
The Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association (KEHPCA) which is the National Association, was formed to represent Hospices and Palliative care service providers in Kenya. The aim of the association is to scale up Palliative Care services in the country to bridge the very significant gap between those who get the services and those in need of the services. This encompasses addressing issues of accessibility, affordability and quality of the services. KEHPCA strives to develop effective working relationships and arrangements with various stakeholders, namely development partners & donors, bureaucrats, technocrats, legislators, regulators and interest groups to achieve her aim. The Association’s main activities include awareness & advocacy, education & training research, service delivery, programme developments and fund raising. 
KEHPCA is organizing a football tournament, for under 14s as Palliative Care ambassadors starting in four regions in Kenya, namely; Nairobi, Central, Western and Eastern province. The final matches will be held on 9th and 10th October 2009 when we celebrate the “
In February 2008, despite the post election violence that was so evident in Kenya, I traveled to Kakamega, a town in Western Kenya, to meet with the Kakamega Provincial Hospital management team. They were very receptive to the idea of starting palliative care services within the hospital. In May 2008, KEHPCA Program Officer David Musyoki Jesca Nganga Training Coordinator of Nairobi Hospice and I, left for Kakamega town to hold a three-day training workshop for health care professionals, on Introduction to Palliative Care (Supported by both Help the Hospices and Open Society Institute). We were joined by Dr. Julius Onyango and Silvia Otieno of Kisumu Hospice, and Dr. Elijah Kerich, a palliative care doctor newly posted to Kakamega.