The African Palliative Care Association (APCA) and the Government of Ireland, through Irish Aid, invite you to join the World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2026 Palliative Care Symposium, live from Windhoek, Namibia, on Friday 9 October 2026, featuring the presentation of the inaugural Dr Anne Merriman Award for Excellence in Palliative Care in Africa. The full symposium will be streamed on Zoom.
The symposium is hosted by the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Namibia and Hope Based Health Care. The symposium theme is Pain Management: An Essential Part of Palliative Care.
Event details
- Date: Friday, 9 October 2026
- Symposium: 9:30 am to 1:20 pm Windhoek time (CAT). That is 10:30 am to 2:20 pm EAT, 9:30 am to 1:20 pm SAST and 8:30 am to 12:20 pm WAT.
- Award presentation: 11:25 am to 11:55 am CAT (12:25 pm EAT, 10:25 am WAT).
- Venue: Avani Hotel, Windhoek, Namibia
- Online: Zoom webinar covering the full symposium. The online room opens at 9:15 am CAT.
- Programme: view the full symposium programme (PDF)
Register to attend online
Registration is required to join virtually. Once registered, you will receive your personal link to join.
Register for the symposium and award presentation
You can also scan the QR code on the event flyer, or copy this link into your browser: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pfPJ00xXSX6JMdWGZWts_w
About the award
The Dr Anne Merriman Excellence in Palliative Care in Africa Award was launched by the Government of Ireland in September 2025 at the 8th International African Palliative Care Conference in Gaborone, Botswana. Funded by Irish Aid and administered by APCA, the award is worth €20,000 and will be presented every two years. It recognises individuals and organisations making an outstanding contribution to palliative care in Africa, through innovation, excellent care, research, expanding access to services, or ground-breaking models of care.
Honouring Dr Anne Merriman
Dr Anne Merriman (1935 to 2025) founded Hospice Africa Uganda in 1993 and developed a model of palliative care designed for settings with limited resources. She campaigned tirelessly to make affordable oral morphine available across Africa, and was a founding member of APCA. The award carries her name so that her vision of compassionate, affordable care, available to everyone who needs it, continues to inspire the next generation of palliative care leaders on the continent.
Symposium programme highlights
- Opening remarks and keynote address by the Honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Namibia, on palliative care in Namibia's Universal Health Coverage plan
- The state of palliative care in Africa, WHO Africa Regional Office
- The crucial role of national associations: lessons from across Africa, Mr Andre Wagner, APCA
- Improving access to palliative care in Oshikoto Region since 2015, Ms Eglien Eises, Hope Based Health Care
- The Dr Anne Merriman Award for Excellence in Palliative Care in Africa, with the Government of Ireland, Irish Aid and APCA
- Sessions on cancer and palliative care, palliative care in the public sector, palliative care education, and spirituality in palliative care in Namibia
Download the full symposium programme (PDF, 2 pages)
Read more about the award in Embassy of Ireland Visits APCA Ahead of the Inaugural Dr. Anne Merriman Award, and see all upcoming events on the APCA Events Calendar.
Give in her honour
Carry Dr Anne Merriman's legacy forward
For more than three decades, Dr Anne Merriman worked so that people with serious illness in Africa could live and die free of pain. She campaigned for affordable oral morphine and built a model of care for places with few resources. Millions of people across the continent still cannot get the pain relief she fought for. Your gift helps change that.
Make a gift in honour of Dr Anne Merriman
Give monthly: $25 a month provides a full month of pain relief and home care for one patient. Give $25 a month
Gifts are processed securely by Donorbox and support APCA's work to expand access to palliative care and pain relief across Africa. The Dr Anne Merriman Award itself is funded by the Government of Ireland through Irish Aid. More ways to give
