Closing the Awareness Gap
in Palliative Care
Many people in Africa—including policymakers, health workers, and communities—still have limited understanding of palliative care. This lack of awareness leads to late referrals, unnecessary suffering, and poor integration into health systems.
What Happens When Awareness is Low?
Despite years of advocacy, poor awareness of palliative care persists across all levels. This creates four critical blockages preventing patients from accessing the care they need.
🏛️ Governments
Don't know palliative care is mandated by WHA 67.19 and essential for Universal Health Coverage.
👩⚕️ Health Workers
Lack competencies in pain assessment, opioid prescribing, and communicating prognoses.
👨👩👧 Communities
Believe palliative care means "giving up" or is only for dying patients, preventing early referrals.
⚙️ Health Systems
Missing integration knowledge—don't know how to embed palliative care into existing services.
- Late referrals force patients to suffer unnecessarily when pain relief is available
- Social taboos around death and opioid medications create barriers to seeking care
- Palliative care remains outside national health financing mechanisms
When Knowledge Improves, Everything Changes
Better awareness transforms how different stakeholders understand, prioritize, and deliver palliative care.
- Prioritise palliative care in national health strategies
- Allocate budgets and resources
- Support policy and legal frameworks
- Integrate into UHC 2030 plans
- Identify patients earlier in the disease course
- Provide holistic, person-centred care
- Integrate into routine services
- Access essential pain medications confidently
- Seek care earlier rather than suffering in silence
- Understand palliative care is not "giving up"
- Participate actively in care decisions
- Access home-based support and guidance
How We Close the Gap
APCA works across the continent to increase understanding of palliative care at policy, professional, and community levels through targeted Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) strategies.
Regional Conferences
Triennial African Palliative Care Conferences convening 1,700+ delegates
Awareness Campaigns
Country-specific activities in 24 nations tailored to local contexts
Training Resources
Educational materials in English, French, Arabic, and Portuguese
High-Level Advocacy
Ministers of Health sessions and policy dialogues
Digital Platforms
Webinars and virtual conferences reaching 46 countries
Media Engagement
Stories that humanize palliative care and dispel myths
Awareness Drives Systemic Change
When we invest in knowledge creation and dissemination, the effects cascade across the entire palliative care ecosystem.
How Awareness Connects to Everything
Awareness is not an isolated activity—it is the foundation that enables all other strategic objectives. Without knowledge, health systems cannot integrate services, research cannot inform practice, and sustainability remains impossible.
01. Knowledge
Creating awareness through IEC campaigns and conferences
02. Systems
Informed policymakers integrate care into national health plans
03. Evidence
Awareness gaps drive research questions via APCRN
04. Sustainability
Informed stakeholders advocate for domestic financing
Join Us in Closing the Gap
Knowledge is the first step to dignity. When we raise awareness, patients suffer less, families receive better support, and health systems serve everyone better.