UB and BHPCA Join Forces to Promote Community Palliative Care
The University of Botswana (UB) School of Nursing through the Oncology and Palliative Care Programme in collaboration with the Botswana Hospice and Palliative Care Association (BHPCA), recently hosted a sensitization seminar on community-based palliative care. The seminar targeted students, cancer patients, and their caregivers, with the aim of building capacity and garnering support for the initiative.
A lecturer at the School of Nursing, Dr Miriam Sebego, highlighted that the sensitisation meeting was part of BHPCA's advocacy efforts within the community. She emphasised that the meetings provided a platform for sharing experiences which in turn helped improve palliative care practices.
Dr Norman Carl Swart, an Adult-Gerontology Oncology and Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner and Family Nurse Practitioner at UB, discussed the challenges faced in delivering palliative care to communities. He pointed out that a lack of knowledge and resources hampered efforts and underlined the importance of interventions from various institutions to bridge those gaps.
Palliative care is designed to enhance the quality of life for patients and support their families when dealing with life-threatening illnesses. It involves the prevention and relief of suffering through early detection, thorough assessment and treatment. Moreover, it provides psychological, social and spiritual support.
UB’s Faculty of Health Sciences offers a Master of Nursing Science in Adult Gerontology Oncology and Palliative Care, adding to its range of nursing specialisations. The programme is designed to increase the number of palliative care providers in the country to address the current shortage of resources and improving efficiency in care delivery.