The Association was established to advocate for Palliative Care services in Uganda. Through PCAU’s work in the last 20 years, palliative care services have been spread in 107 districts of Uganda with over 250 facilities accredited to offer the service, including the 13 Regional Referral Hospitals. There is a total of 13 standalone hospices spread across the country to offer palliative care services.
Morphine availability and distribution have greatly improved in Uganda, and Patients suffering from pain can access this medicine free of charge, as the government pays for the Oral Liquid Morphine solution. Through PCAU’s advocacy, Uganda authorized specially trained palliative care nurses and clinical officers to prescribe morphine, a responsibility that remains with medical officers in many African countries.
Palliative Care has been integrated into medical training at various levels, and there are specialist courses at diploma, degree, and postgraduate levels. A case in point is Mulago School of Nursing and Midwifery, a premier public nursing training institution that commenced an advanced diploma in palliative care nursing. Of late, the Ministry of Health established a Division of Palliative Care at its headquarters, which is to strengthen the development of palliative care in Uganda.
Palliative Care services are found in 113 districts of Uganda and 300 accredited facilities within these districts.