First Quarter 2024 Updates

Health-Related Suffering among Children from Impoverished Settings: A case of a mother and her baby failing TB and advanced HIV Disease in South Western Uganda

How help came to a very sick mother with her seemingly dying baby and her other 2 children:
In 2022, a community volunteer in southwestern Uganda was concerned about the plight of a dying baby with her mother who lived in a small makeshift. The two lived with two other young children in a very impoverished family of four people. The community volunteer approached the palliative care team at Kitagata Hospital for help. The Hospital is located about 3 miles from the village where the venerable family lives.

First Quarter 2024 updates from PCAU

Dear PCAU Members and Friends,

Thank you so much for your continued support and connection with PCAU. Please receive our 1st quarter 2024 newsletter. We are most excited about our plans for this year as we celebrate 25 years of PCAU. I encourage you all to renew your membership and commit to supporting PCAU. As we celebrate 25 years, we take stock of how our focused investment has yielded compassion, holistic care, pain-relief, comfort, hope, and justice for individuals, families, and Ugandan communities.

Rotary Clubs Commit to Supporting Palliative Care

From March 1st – 3rd this year, we joined Rotary Clubs in Uganda for their Rotary Northern Mega Fellowship which was held in Arua City. They had a captivating theme: “Creating Hope in Palliation.”

The three days were filled with a spirit of compassion. Over 200 people from over 10 Rotary Clubs gathered and spoke about the main need to relieve pain and suffering among many patients and families faced with life-limiting illnesses.

Breast Cancer Awareness and Fundraiser

On February 25th, 2024, we joined our partners the Uganda Cancer Society for their annual Cancer Sukuma Dance event in Kampala. We were official partners in the event this year.

This is an annual fitness, cancer awareness, and fundraising event with a specific theme also to commemorate World Cancer Day. This year the theme was: Restore Smiles, A Breast for Her.

My experience as a Palliative Care Data Champion in Uganda

In 2022, the Ministry of Health passed the Health Management Information System (HMIS) Palliative Care registers and HMIS 105c Monthly Palliative Care reporting forms. This effectively enabled palliative care reporting through the District Health Information System (DHIS2). The approval by the Ministry of Health followed several years of advocacy and support by PCAU on the integration of palliative care data in the HMIS. PCAU Continues to effort to ensure that the over 300 health facilities accredited to offer palliative care across the country receive the required tools and training to report on palliative care.

One-On-One with Jaffar the PCAU Driver for 12 years

When you visit PCAU or when PCAU visits you, there is that one most likely face. The PCAU Driver. He has been the main driver for PCAU since 2012. He has visited every district in the country and continues to be a valuable team member. A team of 3 staff recently had an interview with him. He shared his role and feelings about the new Land Cruiser acquired by PCAU last year.

The February 2024 National Palliative Care Update Meeting

Since 1999, we have been hosting quarterly national palliative care meetings in Uganda. The meetings bring together PCAU members, Ministry of Health Officials, Members of Parliament, University Faculty staff, and interested members of the public every three months. The gatherings are important for advocacy, sharing experiences, continuous medical education, and networking.

Disability Inclusion: Leaving No One Behind in Palliative Care in Uganda

In the peri-urban community of Makindye lives Matia (not real name) a middle-aged gentleman with Diabetes Mellitus. Matia usually sits on the veranda of his house shaded from the busking sun in the city these days. Matia had a double amputation from the knees and partial blindness in his eyes due to complications from Diabetes.

Building a Compassionate Community

As we share with you an update from PCAU, we would like to encourage you to be thoughtful about the needs of your immediate community and how you could help. We request you consider stepping out to do something thoughtful for someone, for a family, or a group in your community. What is life without caring and sharing? Recently, a Village Health Team Member from Lweza Zone B village asked a family if a team of children and volunteers on our Road to Hope Program could visit.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY – 2024

The Month of March each year is celebrated as women’s month in many parts of the world featuring International Women’s Day on March 8th. This year, while declaring the Women’s History Month the President of USA said that during this March, “we celebrate the courageous women who have helped our Nation build a fairer, more just society.”

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