Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, October 8, 2010: World Hospice and Palliative Care (PC) Day was celebrated at the Telemedicine Facility building of the Black Lion hospital. The announcement of the launching of the first-ever morphine (pain medications in chronic pain management) production in Ethiopian enhanced the importance of the event. Morphine is a crucial component of hospice care, which focuses on decreasing pain symptoms, and stress caused by chronic illness such as AIDS and cancer.
This year’s slogan “Sharing the Care” emphasized the need for all-round support to chronically ill persons through palliative and hospice care, by all members of society, including their family members, health care providers, spiritual counselors and the community as a whole. The event also emphasized the importance of support for families, and health care providers of chronically ill patients.
Dr. Nigist Tesfaye, head of the Urban Health Promotion and Prevention Department at the Ministry of Health, stated the importance of PC in Ethiopia by saying “PC is a holistic approach to health care with focuses on the quality of life of people suffering from chronic illnesses through the provision of psychological, physical, emotional, spiritual and social support, while also concerning itself with the invisible victims of chronic illness: the family members.”
According to the World Health Organization, Ethiopia consumes the lowest amount of morphine in the world, despite the increasing number of AIDS and cancer patients in the country. For chronically ill persons, there is low availability of pain control and PC. Dr. Bogale Selemon, Radio Therapy Unit Director at the Black Lion Hospital said that “with the availability of morphine, health care providers will no longer turn away chronically ill patients since they can now manage their pain.”
Dr. Yoseph Mamo, Palliative Care and Pre-Service Advisor at UCSD (University of California San Diego) –Ethiopia, said that “the production of morphine in Ethiopia is a great achievement in terms of its sustainability and cost effectiveness.” What remains are steps in making it accessible through distribution to medical facilities, implementing its education in curriculums while at the same time drafting policy restricting its use and prohibiting any abuse, according to Dr. Yoseph. The need for implementing children bereavement services alongside hospice care was also a point brought forth by Mrs. Joan H Miller, a cancer survivor and founder of The Healing Grief Center for Children Bereavement.
Nurse Tibebe Maco, Founder and Executive Director of Hiwot HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care and Support Organization (HAPSCO), explained the important role that home based care services by community based organization and their volunteers has played in place of palliative care in our country thus far.“Home based care volunteers who have appeared and thrived through the era of HIV have received too little support from the medical community,” explained Dr. Nigist. “They should be appreciated for the tremendous contribution they have made in alleviating the suffering of AIDS patients. Failing to recognize the need to empower, lead, support and strengthen this community resource would be a mistake” added Dr. Nigist. “By sharing our knowledge with those working at the community and home levels, we must upgrade our home base care services to fulfill the standard of care set by the world and continental bodies,” emphasized Dr. Nigist pointing to the need for capacity building
“The strong HIV/AIDS prevention and control as well as care and support response implemented in Ethiopia is remarkable,” said Dr. Yoseph. He also added that “the production of Morphine in Ethiopia is a testament to the strong commitment of governmental and nongovernmental bodies to stopping the suffering of people living with AIDS and cancer.”
Mrs. Diana Mattanovich, Country Director of UCSD-Ethiopia, expressed her deepest gratitude to the strong commitment and hard work of all involved in making morphine production a reality in Ethiopia. This event was organized by UCSD-Ethipia, JHU/Tsehay, and Black lion hospital.
