About Us
About Us
Africa’s hub for palliative & comprehensive chronic care
Who We Are
The African Palliative Care Association (APCA) is a pan-African membership organisation founded in 2004 to ensure that palliative and comprehensive chronic care is understood, integrated into health systems, and underpinned by evidence so that no African suffers unnecessarily from life-limiting illness.
Headquartered in Kampala, Uganda, we work with governments, hospitals, hospices, universities, and community groups in 42 countries to make quality, people-centred care a reality for every patient and family.
Why Palliative & Comprehensive Chronic Care Matters
Africa carries a double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Millions living with cancer, HIV, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and emerging infections such as COVID-19 or Ebola experience serious health-related suffering that can be prevented or relieved through early, holistic care.
APCA's response is palliative and comprehensive chronic care—a life-course approach that starts at diagnosis and continues alongside curative treatment, rehabilitation, survivorship, or end-of-life care.
What We Do – Our 2020-2030 Strategy
Our ten-year strategy is built on four objectives aligned to WHO's health-systems building blocks:
1. Awareness & Advocacy
Increase understanding among the public, health workers, and policy makers that palliative care is essential for Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
2. Health-Systems Integration
Support countries to embed palliative care into national policies, essential-medicine lists, curricula, and financing so services are available in hospitals, clinics, and homes.
3. Evidence & Research
Generate African data—220 peer-reviewed papers and counting—to guide policy and prove what works.
4. Sustainability
Diversify financing, strengthen national associations, and build local leadership so care continues long after donor funding shifts.
We stand for
- Equity – universal access to pain relief and supportive care, regardless of geography, gender, age, disability or displaced status
- Inclusion – services designed with and for key vulnerable populations, refusing any form of discrimination
- Solidarity – sharing knowledge, medicines and resources so that no hospice, clinic or carer stands alone
- Justice – advocating for public financing and fair pricing of essential medicines
We reject euthanasia as a societal shortcut; we choose accompaniment, dignity and systemic change until comprehensive chronic care is a guaranteed right for every African.
2023-2024 Impact Highlights
- 23,951 people reached through awareness campaigns
- 4,064 patients received essential palliative-care medicines
- 3,038 referrals facilitated for higher-level treatment
- 15,282 home visits completed for bed-bound patients
- 577 health professionals trained via webinars and iECHO platform
- 275 small grants awarded to grassroots providers since 2009
Leadership & Governance
In November 2025, Dr Eve Namisango took office as Executive Director, bringing 15 years of experience in palliative-care policy, research, and education. She succeeds Dr Emmanuel Luyirika, who retired after 13 years of visionary leadership.
Our work is guided by a 10-member Board of Directors representing East, West, Southern, Central, and North Africa, and supported by a lean, multidisciplinary secretariat in Kampala.
How We Work
Partnership is our DNA. We convene:
- Ministries of Health & African Union and regional health related bodies
- National palliative-care associations & hospices
- Universities & research networks (African Palliative Care Research Network has 300+ members)
- Global partners (WHO, ICPCN, IAHPC, GPIC, St Jude, True Colours Trust)
- Disease survivors & community champions
Innovation & Digital Health
- mPallCare mobile app – real-time symptom reporting and clinician dashboards
- GIS service map – helps patients locate nearby care and opioid availability
- Virtual conferences & webinars – cut travel costs and expand reach
Join Us
Help make palliative care and comprehensive chronic care part of every African health system.
Partner
Collaborate on programmes, research, or advocacy
Donate
Fund medicines, training, or small grants
Learn
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