Palliative care refers to specialized medical care offered to people living with severe
health conditions. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), palliative care is a mix
of activities that helps improve the quality of life of patients with life-threatening health
conditions (WHO, n.d). Individuals with terminal illnesses live with a lot of pain and distress.
It therefore, ensure that the level of pain and suffering is reduced to bearable levels. Burke et al. (2019) noted that some of the terminal health conditions that require palliative care include cancer, congestive heart failure (CHF), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
(ALS), kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is a
common practice in primary health facilities provided by trained doctors, nurses, and other
specialists who work to provide support to patients. The care is offered to relive pain and
suffering using early identification and treatment. Understanding palliative care
Origin, history, and development
Palliative type of care began as hospice care that is provided by caregivers at health facilities
owned and operated by religious groups. The primary goal of hospice care is to improve patients
and their families’ quality of life. The practice was founded by Dame Cicely Saunders, a British
physician in the year 1948, to provide care services that alleviate pain and suffering for patients
with terminal illnesses. Cicely Saunders, the founder of St Christopher’s
Hospice in London, was born on June 22, 1918, at Barnet in the United Kingdom. During her
service as a nurse, Saunders met David Tasma- a Polish Jew young man dying of cancer, and this
inspired her to devote her life to care for the dying. Saunders believed passionately that the last
days of a person could be made dignified and happy through care. She spent most of her time listening to patient’s stories of illness and suffering from which she helped alleviate physical, emotional, social, and spiritual pain. Saunders’ success in improving the
patient’s quality of life prompted her to introduce the practice to other physicians. Cicely
Saunders built a strong philosophy around the belief that although death is natural, it should be
free from suffering and pain.
WHO Principles of this type of care
The first WHO principle is the provision of services that help relieve pain and other distressing symptoms
The second principle states that it affirms life and is in agreement with the fact that death as a
natural process. The third WHO principle states that palliative type of care offers all
manner of support needed by patients to live a happy life before death. The fourth WHO principle states that palliative type of care neither hasten death nor postpone death. The fifth WHO principle states that palliative care ensures that patients receive a mix of psychological and spiritual care.
The sixth WHO principle states that this type of care offers support to patients with life–threatening illnesses to help them live as actively as possible in their last days. The seventh WHO principle states that palliative type of care uses a
multidisciplinary team approach to satisfactorily address the needs of patients together with their
families. The eighth WHO principle states that palliative type of care may enhance
patients’ quality of life as well as positively influence the course if the terminal illness. The ninth WHO principle states that if palliative care is offered early enough coupled with other therapies, it can help manage complications
Palliative care organizations
The different palliative care organizations established in different countries include; the
American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (ABHPM), American Academy of Hospice
and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), Committee of Rehabilitation and Palliative Care of China
Anti-cancer Association (CRPC), and the Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association
(KEHPCA) among others (Centeno et al., 2016). All the organizations in different countries,
together with the World Health Organization, promote all the six principles of the care
discussed above.
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