External links
- Official website
- ehospice Africa
- ATLANTES Global Observatory – APCA Atlas of Palliative Care in Africa
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| Abbreviation | APCA |
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| Formation | 2004 |
| Founded at | Arusha, Tanzania |
| Type | Non-governmental organisation |
| Focus | Palliative care, health systems strengthening |
| Headquarters | Kampala, Uganda |
Region served | Africa |
Executive Director | Dr. Eve Namisango |
| Website | africanpalliativecare |
The African Palliative Care Association (APCA) is a pan-African non-governmental organisation headquartered in Kampala, Uganda, dedicated to promoting and supporting the integration of palliative care into health systems across Africa. Founded in 2004 following the Cape Town Declaration (2002), APCA works to ensure access to pain relief and palliative care as a human right for all Africans with life-limiting illnesses. [1]
APCA serves as the continental coordinating body for palliative care development, providing technical assistance, advocacy, and capacity building to member organisations across sub-Saharan Africa. The association currently operates under a 2020–2030 Strategic Framework aligned with the World Health Organization's health system building blocks and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goals, and is set to contribute to the SDGs health goals. [2] In 2024–2025, APCA marked its 20th anniversary, celebrating two decades of advocacy that contributed to the integration of palliative care into national health policies in over 20 African countries. [3]
APCA's origins trace to November 2002, when 28 palliative care trainers from 15 African countries convened in Cape Town, South Africa, to address the critical need for regional cooperation in palliative care development. This meeting produced the Cape Town Declaration, which established palliative care, pain management, and symptom control as fundamental human rights for adults and children with life-limiting illnesses. [4] [5]
Following two years of interim coordination, APCA was formally established in Arusha, Tanzania in 2004 as a pan-African non-governmental organisation, with initial support from the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and the Open Society Foundations. [6]
During its first decade, APCA focused on developing training curricula, establishing national palliative care associations, and advocating for policy changes regarding access to essential medicines, particularly opioids for pain management. The organisation developed key partnerships with Human Rights Watch, the World Health Organization, and the African Union, [7] [8] as well as with other global and regional hospice palliative care associations.
Under founding Executive Director Dr. Faith Mwangi-Powell (2004–2012), APCA established the Palliative Care Handbook for Africa and developed training programmes reaching thousands of healthcare workers across the continent. [9]
In 2020, APCA launched its current Strategic Framework (2020–2030), shifting focus from palliative care as a standalone service to comprehensive chronic care integrated within national health systems and UHC schemes.This framework emphasises the WHO building blocks: [10]
APCA marked its 20th anniversary in 2024, celebrating two decades of advocacy and programming that contributed to the integration of palliative care into national health policies in over 20 African countries and the establishment of palliative care education in numerous medical and nursing schools. [11] In October 2025, the organisation marked a leadership transition with the retirement of executive director Dr. Emmanuel Luyirika after 13 years of service. [12]
APCA's mission is to ensure that palliative and comprehensive chronic care are widely understood and integrated into health systems at all levels, to reduce pain and suffering across Africa. The organisation's 2020–2030 Strategic Framework is built on four strategic objectives: [13]
Dr. Eve Namisango has served as Executive Director since October 2025, succeeding Dr. Emmanuel Luyirika following his retirement after 13 years of service. Dr. Namisango previously served as APCA's Head of Programmes and Research, where she led the development of the African Children's Palliative Care Outcome Scale (APCA C-POS)—a novel outcome measure now used in over 2,000 children across three demonstration sites in Uganda and adapted for use in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. [14] [15]
Dr. Namisango is a researcher in palliative care outcomes and implementation science, with experience in health systems strengthening across Africa. She has led multi-country initiatives and partnerships with institutions including King's College London, the University of Leeds, and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Under her leadership, APCA continues to advance digital health innovations such as the Mpalliative app and research translation into policy. [16]
APCA is governed by a Board of Directors comprising representatives from across Africa, including palliative care practitioners, policymakers, legal experts, and civil society leaders. The Board provides strategic oversight while the Kampala-based Secretariat manages day-to-day operations, regional technical assistance, and coordination with national palliative care associations. [19]
APCA functions as a pan-African coordinating body and technical assistance hub, operating through four primary mechanisms: [20]
APCA operates a tiered membership structure comprising:
As of 2024–2025, APCA's membership includes over 6,300 individuals and institutions across Africa and globally. [21]
APCA provides demand-driven technical assistance to governments and health systems through policy development, standard setting, and systems strengthening. The organisation employs a "catalyst" model, working alongside national governments to build sustainable capacity rather than establishing parallel service delivery systems. [22]
APCA serves as the continental repository for palliative care evidence through the APCA African Palliative Care Database, communities of practice, and editorial oversight of the Africa edition of ehospice, an online global palliative care news platform. [23]
APCA coordinates multi-stakeholder advocacy targeting medicines access, policy integration, and human rights engagement with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. [24]
APCA provides technical assistance to ministries of health to develop national palliative care policies and integrate services into disease-specific programmes including HIV/AIDS, cancer, and non-communicable diseases. The organisation has supported over 31 training institutions to integrate palliative care into medical and nursing curricula. [25]
A core focus involves advocating for improved access to essential controlled medicines for pain management. APCA has supported seven countries—Botswana, Ghana, Eswatini, Rwanda, Mozambique, Kenya, and Nigeria—to establish local oral morphine reconstitution capabilities. [26] APCA continues to support other countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Togo, which are currently in the process of doing so.
APCA hosts the African Palliative Care Research Network (APCRN), which has grown to over 400 members. The organisation has implemented 45 research projects resulting in over 200 peer-reviewed publications, including in The Lancet Global Health . In 2025, APCA launched the APCA Centre of Research and Excellence, establishing regional hubs at Makerere University (East Africa), University of Ibadan (West Africa), University of Cape Town (Southern Africa), and Cairo University (North Africa). [27] [28]
Through the True Colours Trust Small Grants Programme, APCA has awarded 295 sub-grants to palliative care providers across 29 African countries, supporting 1,873 adult patients and 137 children with palliative care services in the 2024–2025 period alone. [29]
APCA partnered with Leeds University and MRT IT Peaks to develop the Mpalliative app, enabling patients and families to self-report symptoms from home with real-time data transmission to clinicians. This innovation won the 2025 APCA Innovation Award. [30]
APCA collaborates with multilateral organisations, governments, and civil society groups including: [31]
| Partner type | Organisations |
|---|---|
| World Health Organization (WHO) | Technical collaboration on normative guidelines and essential medicines lists |
| African Union & Africa CDC | Integration of palliative care into continental health strategies |
| Academic institutions | Makerere University, University of Cape Town, King's College London, University of Leeds, University of Navarra (ATLANTES Global Observatory) |
| Philanthropic partners | True Colours Trust, Open Society Foundations, Global Partners in Care, Irish Hospice Foundation |
| Professional networks | Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA), International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC), International Children's Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) |
| Government partnerships | Ministries of Health in Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, and others |
APCA's advocacy and technical assistance have contributed to: [32]
APCA has produced several key resources for palliative care development in Africa: [35]
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