Palliative Care In Rwanda

On February 27 and 28, IntraHealth sponsored the Palliative Care Meeting for Policy Makers and Other Stakeholders in Kigali, Rwanda, led by key members of Rwanda’s Ministry of Health (MOH). IntraHealth’s partner on USAID’s HIV/AIDS Clinical Services Program (HCSP), MildMay International, provided technical assistance. The meeting brought together policy makers and stakeholders to establish appropriate policies and guidelines for palliative care services in Rwanda. Palliative care—providing patient support and preventing the pain and suffering associated with life-threatening illnesses—is an important component of HIV/AIDS services. 

At the end of the meeting the MOH and other stakeholders established that they would:

• Agree to a national  palliative care definition so that there is a unified understanding of palliative care in Rwanda
• Define the minimum package for palliative care, delineate roles and responsibilities and develop guidelines and protocols accordingly
• Expand upon the existing MOH national palliative care curricula by adding additional modules to offer a more comprehensive training package for providers and community workers
• Develop and put into place a national strategy to reinforce provider skills in palliative care nationwide
• Agree to pain recognition and management in both adults and children, and agree to advocate for adequate pain control in patients with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other chronic illnesses
• Strengthen MOH and partner coordination to exchange best practices within and outside of Rwanda
• Continue to mobilize and leverage existing and future funds to develop a way forward in palliative care in Rwanda.

Representatives from Rwanda’s MOH requested that IntraHealth and MildMay continue to provide technical assistance in palliative care policy and curricula development.  As a part of that work, MildMay launched the two-week Palliative Care Training of Trainers, from March 3-14. Developed by the IntraHealth-led HCSP, this session trained 30 service providers from four IntraHealth-supported Rwandan districts. They can now train other health care service providers in appropriate palliative care.

The Palliative Care Meeting and Training of Trainers officially launched IntraHealth and MildMay’s new role in strengthening palliative care services in partnership with Rwanda’s MOH and other Rwandan stakeholders.

USAID funds the IntraHealth-led HIV/AIDS Clinical Services Program in Rwanda, including palliative care policy and training support  from MildMay International—a UK-based non-denominational Christian charity dedicated to HIV/AIDS care and a valuable new partner for IntraHealth in our Rwandan HIV/AIDS work.