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University of Botswana (UB) Oncology and Palliative Care Lecturer, Dr Norman Swart, says palliative care enhances the quality of life of patients beyond cure by focusing on symptom management, emotional support and compassionate communication to help them cope with the challenges of serious illness.

He explained that the goal of palliative care was to promote comfort, dignity and overall well-being - whether the patient is at home, in hospital or in a hospice setting. Dr Swart made the remarks during the World Hospice and Palliative Care Day Commemoration, held at the Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital (SKMTH) recently.

Dr Swart noted that palliative care was often misunderstood as being limited to end-of-life situations, when in fact it supported patients at any stage of serious illness. He emphasised that it helped manage complex symptoms, reduced emotional distress and guided families through difficult decisions. He further noted that a comprehensive support system enhanced patients’ comfort and helped them find peace and fulfilment throughout their health journey.

Meanwhile, SKMTH Clinical and Radiation Oncologist, Dr Dipo Setlhako, underscored the need to integrate palliative care into all aspects of healthcare to achieve universal access. She highlighted that palliative care should be embedded in both pre-service and in-service training curricula and that essential palliative care medicines must be included in national medicine budgets.

Dr Setlhako added that universal access to palliative care required its recognition as a specialist discipline at tertiary training levels, the promotion of community-driven care models and investment in evidence-based research to assess its impact on health outcomes. She also called for the integration of home-based palliative care into primary healthcare services and for increased government funding to strengthen palliative care delivery.

Speaking at the same event, World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative, Dr Tebogo Mdidimalo, revealed that of the estimated 73 million people in need of palliative care globally, only about 10 million currently received it. He noted that most adults requiring palliative care suffered from chronic illnesses such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Dr Mdidimalo added that palliative care could reduce hospital admissions by up to 29 percent, saving billions of dollars globally. He emphasised that investing in palliative care was not only the right thing to do but also a smart economic decision that reduced unnecessary hospitalisations, eased the burden on families and strengthened the resilience of health systems. He concluded by stressing that palliative care was a human right and that investing in it