Last summer, we brought you news of our project to advance palliative care services within the refugee camps of north-east Kenya. A year later we can share the impact the project has made.
In Dadaab, a vast refugee camp housing over 300,000 people, serious illness often goes unseen and untreated. With our support, 20 healthcare professionals and 13 nursing support volunteers received training to provide basic palliative care, including pain management, symptom control and psychosocial support, essential for helping refugees cope with the illness they are experiencing within the traumatic context of living as a refugee. For many trainees, it was the first time they understood that palliative care isn’t just about dying, it’s about helping people live well, even in the face of serious illness.
The newly trained health workers are now integrating palliative care into their services. A local nurse champion now leads a growing network of trained staff who are transforming the quality of care for patients.
Since the training, over 80 people in need of palliative care have been referred to the newly available services by volunteers, and 328 people have received palliative care. These include people with cancer, disabilities, advanced organ failure and other complex conditions, many of whom would otherwise be left behind in such a stretched healthcare system.
“I have never met friendly carers like today’s team. I am alive because you visit my family frequently, when I have no means of coming for wound dressing, you come to me. I am no longer in pain. I smile because mama Annalice always smiles and tells me to keep smiling”.
~Isnino, aged 28
Although the scale of this project is small, it represents a significant step in introducing palliative care to Dadaab, one we intend to build on. This work is helping ensure that even in the most challenging environments, people are able to access compassionate care and support.
Donate today to support this work.