Palliative care: a fundamental aspect of universal health coverage

PALLIATIVE CARE: A FUNDAMENTAL ASPECT OF UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE

Associate Professor René Krause, Head of Division of Interdisciplinary Palliative Care and Medicine; Emeritus Associate Professor Liz Gwyther, University of Cape Town

Friday 24 January  5.00 pm  COURSE FEES R110; Staff and students R55

This lecture will examine why palliative care is a fundamental component of universal health coverage for all individuals. It will explore the values of palliative care in relation to universal health coverage, highlighting its importance not just for the healthcare system, but for individuals as well. The lecture will delve into how insufficient investment in patients’ final year of life impacts society in various ways, and will focus on experiences of death and dying.

Both the public and private healthcare sectors in South Africa will be analysed, along with the resources currently available and how services should ideally be structured. Furthermore, we will discuss how individuals can advocate for palliative care for themselves and their families, exploring how individuals can access current resources.

Health professionals can earn CPD points for this course.

TO BOOK: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/performance.aspx?itemid=1554970219

A/Prof Krause is a Family Physician with a master's degree in Palliative Medicine and a postgraduate diploma in Health Professional education. She is currently the Head of the Division of Interdisciplinary Palliative Care and Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine, Community and Emergency Care (University of Cape Town) and convenor of the postgraduate diploma in Palliative Medicine. Clinically, A/Prof Krause has an honorary appointment at Groote Schuur hospital, consulting in palliative care. In Groote Schuur Hospital, she works alongside the oncology team, doing combined ward rounds and consulting in palliative care across this 900-bed hospital. Dr Krause is a board member of the African Palliative Care Association.

A/Prof Krause’s research interest is the strengthening and integration of Palliative Care practices in hospitals. A/Prof Krause is doing a PhD in integrating palliative care in academic teaching hospitals within the Department of Family Medicine at UCT.

Liz Gwyther has worked tirelessly since the 1990s to deliver and promote comprehensive community-based palliative care for people with life-threatening illnesses. Liz studied medicine at the University of Cape Town. She obtained the Diploma in Palliative Medicine from University of Wales, College of Medicine (UWCM) in 1998 and the MSc in Palliative Medicine (UWCM) in 2003. She is CEO of Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa (HPCA); a member of the executive committee of Networking AIDS Community of South Africa; a Trustee of the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance (WPCA) and a director of the Pain Society of South Africa. She is a member of the Treatment, Care and Support Technical Task Team of the South African National AIDS Council. In 2008, Liz was involved in the establishment of, and was elected chairman of, the Community Based Care Coalition (CBBC) under the auspices of the Networking AIDS Community of South Africa. The objective of the CBBC is to provide training to home-based caregivers, and advocate with the government on caregiver issues. Her goals include to expand the reach of palliative care to all patients and families requiring that care within South Africa and to promote the development of palliative care worldwide.