African Palliative Care Association

African Palliative Care Association (APCA) is a pan-African non-governmental organization (NGO) working to promote and support the integration of palliative care into health systems across Africa. APCA has appeared on the BBC World Service,^[1] The Guardian^[2] and across regional and national African press^[3] advocating for better palliative care provision.

History

APCA was founded in Cape Town in 2002 after 28 palliative care trainers from across Africa met together and discussed the need for regional cooperation. The group produced the Cape Town Declaration,^[4] which holds palliative care, pain and symptom control as a human right for every adult and child with life-limiting illnesses.^[5] APCA however was not formally founded until two years later in 2004.^[6]

Since then APCA has continued to state palliative care as a human right, working with Human Rights Watch^[7] and the Open Society Foundation,^[8] calling on governments to live up to their responsibilities.

Published material

• A Palliative Care Handbook for Africa, available on the World Health Association's website^[9]
• Beating Pain. A Pocket Guide to Pain Management in Africa, in cooperation with AID-STAR ONE^[10]
• Palliative Care for Women living with HIV and Cervical Cancer, in cooperation with the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa^[11]

APCA also provides the editorial oversight to the Africa edition of ehospice news,^[12] an online global palliative care news platform.

Notable staff

Dr. Emmanuel Luyirika is the current executive director of APCA. He took up this position in August 2012. Before moving to APCA, Dr. Luyirika worked as clinical director, centre director and ultimately country director for Mildmay International in Uganda.^[13]

Dr. Faith Mwangi-Powell was the founding director of APCA and held that position until 2012. Since then she has gone on to become the senior program officer for global advocacy with the International Palliative Care Initiative of the Open Society Foundations. Dr. Faith holds a Ph.D. in women's health and development and has published over 20 peer reviewed papers.^[14]

References

1. BBC World Service. "Palliative Care Worldwide". Retrieved 29 May 2013.
2. The Guardian (20 March 2013). "Today in Healthcare". London. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
3. APCA. "APCA in the press". Retrieved 29 May 2013.
4. "The Palliative Care Trainers Declaration of Cape Town November 13, 2002". Journal of Palliative Medicine. 6 (: 3): 339–340. July 7, 2004. doi:10.1089/109662103322144637. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
5. APCA. "About us". Retrieved 29 May 2013.
6. True Colours Trust. "Partners: APCA". Retrieved 29 May 2013.
7. Human Rights Watch. "Easing Africa's Pain: The Need for Palliative Care". Retrieved 29 May 2013.
8. Open Society Foundation. "Palliative Care is a human right". Retrieved 29 May 2013.
9. The WHO. "Resources".
10. AID-STAR ONE. "APCA resources". Retrieved 29 May 2013.
11. OSISA. "Palliative care for women living with HIV". Retrieved 29 May 2013.
12. Ehospice. "About us". Retrieved 29 May 2013.
13. ehospice. "Merging medicine and management, Dr Emmanuel Luyirika". Retrieved 29 May 2013.
14. The Open Society Foundation. "Staff". Retrieved 29 May 2013.