NAIROBI, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Friday launched the country's first National Palliative Care Policy to help accelerate the provision of the key service in the country.
First Lady Margaret Kenyatta who launched the policy said besides providing relief to patients suffering from various ailments, palliative care was crucial in restoring dignity and providing love and comfort in difficult times of ill-health.
She said the policy will also provide the necessary template for the provision of affordable medicine and treatment for managing symptoms.
Kenyatta has appealed to healthcare service providers in the country to include palliative care, including cancer management, as part of primary healthcare packages offered to Kenyans.
She said the provision of palliative care would help lower the nation's disease burden, and challenged decision-makers in Kenya's health sector to ensure the services are available across the country.
The First Lady championed increased involvement of community health workers in the provision of palliative care through training and capacity building.
"We have all experienced the pain families endure when loved ones have been diagnosed with chronic or life-threatening illnesses. Cancer, HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular diseases, dementia and kidney failure as some of the ailments that require this care," she said.
Mercy Mwangangi, chief administrative secretary in the Ministry of Health, said the new policy will help steer the government's plan to increase the number of palliative care centers in the country. Enditem