Prior to the official establishment of GPCA, it is noted that the existence of palliative Care in Ghana backdates all the way to August, 1998 when Rev. Mongsinor Bobby Benson established the first palliative care unit on OPD bases at the st. Dominic Hospital, Akwatia with thd thdn young Dr. Mawuli Kotope Gyakobo as the serving physician in charge.
Not much us recorded on the activities of this team although there were several OPD cases seen, a few admissions made, implantation of hospice care and very few out of facility care practice.
The mission of the Ghana Palliative Care Association is to promote, advocate for, and support the development of palliative care services throughout Ghana.
We strive to enhance the quality of life for patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families by fostering partnerships, building capacity among healthcare professionals, influencing policy, and raising awareness about the importance of palliative care.”
To ensure that all individuals facing serious illnesses in Ghana have timely access to compassionate, comprehensive, and quality palliative care that respects their dignity and enhances their quality of life.
This vision underscores the GPCA’s commitment to advocating for equitable access to palliative care services across Ghana, emphasizing compassion, dignity, and quality in care delivery.
In the early 2000s, another group emerged our of the British trained Palliative and Hospice Care Nurse Dr. Mary Opare. On her arrival home, she put together the framework for the initiation of a Ghana Palliative Care Program under APCA. With true colors funding, she organized several capacity building among healthcare professionals and others to ensure palliative care is inculcated in practice. Her group’s activities resulted in first the establishment of an NGO that focused on home-based care. Among his achievements are the establishment of Matthew 27 House which is the first establishment of palliative care Institutional care concept which has always been thriving over the years to establish the first full-time hospice care center in Ghana in partnership with Global Partners in Care.
It was later, upon the direction of APCA that an NGO was birthed out of her grouping 2005, officially registered in 2006 as Ghana Palliative Care Association. One of thd executive members at thd time, Mrs. Mary Afoakwah who was Secretary established a home care agency called Ripples Home Care as an attachment to the association to practice palliative care. This establishment was an institutional care center out of hospital but facility bonded practice care for seniors/aged.
Other National Executives Council members noted with the Dr. Mary Opare group are: Dr. Stephen Ayisi Addo, Rev. Prof. Seth Ayittey, Prof. Dr. Alfred Edwin Yawson, Rev. Prof. Dr. Matthew Kyei, Mrs. Grace Barnes, Rev. Aba Forson, Rev. Alexander Danso-Ohemeng. This group together with Hospice Africa Uganda organized the very first ever collaborative capacity building with HAU in Ghana in 2007 among other training or capacity building among healthcare workers. Dr. Mary Opare was also very instrumental in the establishment of palliative care nursing in the curriculum of professional nursing training across the country. Nursing therefore, became the first profession that graduates basic level students with knowledge I palliative care nursing.
In 2012, the young dynamic 2nd physician specialist in palliative care medicine besides Prof. Mawuli K. Gyakobo was produced. Together with her mentor and big brother- Mawuli; Dr. Mrs. Edwina Beryl Addo Opare-Lokko established another OPD palliative care unit attached to the Family Medicine Department of the Korlebu Teaching Hospital. Other vital members of this family team were: Dr. Ama Kyerewaa Edwin, Mrs. Ayesha Adjoa Boateng-Ahmed, Maria Ibrahim, Mrs. Corquaye Oksana. The success of this team was as a result of the collective effort of other departments within Korlebu collaborating with them in surgical, medical, O& G departments among others.
This unit was also the first to initiate a clinical training center for palliative care medicine in Ghana under the auspices of the Family Medicine Faculty of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons. The success of the palliative medicine program in GCPS informed the establishment of the Faculty of Palliative Nursing in the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives in the year 2015. The Korlebu unit has successfully trained numerous nurses and physicians in palliative care and the training center is still affecting the palliative world in Ghana.
The success story in Korlebu led to the establishment of a replica unit in Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Tamale Teaching Hospital, Holy Family Hospital in Techiman and thd Sunyani Teaching Hospital.
In the year 2016, Prof. Mawuli K. Gyakobo, who was then the Medical Director of the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital in Akuapim Mampong established a 8 room palliative care unit that serves as the first ever Inpatient Unit with OPD clinic in Ghana. The unit was renovated and renamed the Prof. Mawuli Gyakobo Palliative Care Unit of TQMH in October, 2024
Purpose The primary purpose of the Ghana Palliative Care Association is to promote, advocate for, and support the development of palliative care services across Ghana. Key aspects of its purpose include:
Through these efforts, the Ghana Palliative Care Association is currently playing a pivotal role in ensuring that palliative care is integrated into the broader healthcare system, thereby enhancing the quality of life for patients facing serious illnesses and their families across Ghana.
This structure has made it difficult for GPCA to effectively advocate for palliative care policies, build capacity among healthcare professionals, collaborate with stakeholders, and enhance public awareness about the importance of palliative care in Ghana; but have managed to choke some success over the years.
These initiatives reflect GPCA’s commitment to continuous improvement, expansion of services, and advocacy for policies that enhance the quality of life for patients facing serious illnesses and their families in Ghana.
Strategic partnerships are crucial to supporting GPCA’s efforts in advancing palliative care in Ghana. Some notable partnerships include:
Through effective stakeholder engagement and strategic partnerships, GPCA strengthens its advocacy efforts, enhances service delivery, and promotes sustainable development of palliative care across Ghana, ultimately improving the quality of life for patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families.
