Community and Home Based Palliative Care Services: The Key to Equitable Access to Healthcare Services

Community and home based palliative care services are gaining more recognition especially now where primary health care is important for equitable access to healthcare services. Hospice Africa Uganda has exemplified the use of community and homebased care services to reach to the underprivileged populations and this approach is being adopted by a community initiative called, Lweza Community Health Program to promote primary health care. Through this approach, patients with serious illness including those with infectious diseases have been identified, initiated on treatment and are being followed up in the community. This approach has helped to bridge the divide between the rich and the poor but also helped to address other social-cultural factors which influence the health of individuals and communities. It is hoped that the community initiative will become a model for many communities in Africa to improve equitable access to healthcare services in communities.