OUR HISTORY
PCAU started operating from the premises of Hospice Africa Uganda (HAU) and was managed by volunteers for over six years. In 2006, PCAU moved out of Hospice Africa Uganda with a seed fund of three hundred thousand shillings to carry out its activities. It had only one employee, Ms. Rose Kiwanuka. The African Palliative Care Association (APCA) then housed PCAU for four years.

In February 2010, PCAU moved into a rented house in Makindye. This helped to improve its visibility, the Ministry of Health then started to recognize its contribution to palliative care. Later in the same year, PCAU received funding from USAID to the tune of 150 million which continued annually for five consecutive years plus a vehicle (Land cruiser) through Hospice Africa Uganda.

PCAU then gained momentum and attracted other donors like Diana Princess of Wales Trust Fund, Open Society Initiative for East Africa, True Colors Trust Fund, Center for Hospice Care, American Cancer Society.

PCAU’s partnership with the Center for Hospice Care (CHC), Indiana USA grew stronger and a sponsorship program was started for nurses and clinical officers to undertake a nine months Diploma in Clinical Palliative Care (DCPC) at the Institute of Hospice and Palliative care in Africa (IHPCA). The aim was to increase opioid prescribers in the districts and to bring palliative care nearer to the people. The partners offered 8 scholarships per year. To date PCAU together with the Center for Hospice Care Foundation, has supported 68 nurses and clinical officers to undertake palliative care specialized training. These are legal opioid prescribers and palliative care focal persons in their workplaces.

Under the leadership of Rose Kiwanuka as the Country Director, PCAU was able to acquire a permanent home in 2012 located in Kitende on Block 383 plot 8804 along Entebbe road.
PCAU has continued to advocate for the integration of Palliative Care Services in the Uganda health care system.

OUR IMPACT
The Association was established to advocate for Palliative Care services in Uganda. Through PCAU’s work in the last 20 years, palliative care services are 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 pain can access this medicine free of charge since the government pays for the Oral Liquid Morphine solution. Through PCAU’s advocacy, Uganda allowed specially trained palliative care nurses and clinical officers to prescribe morphine, a responsibility still left to 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 level. 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.