Island Hospice

Island Hospice and Bereavement Service UK (IHBS UK) has been awarded a UK aid grant to increase access to palliative care for people living with disabilities in Zimbabwe.

The grant, which comes from the Government’s Small Charities Challenge Fund, will finance a pilot scheme designed to transform the lives of some of the country’s most vulnerable people.

People living with disabilities are often unable to access the health and care services they need, creating avoidable suffering for them and their families.

Working in partnership with Island Hospice and Healthcare in Zimbabwe, IHBS UK will launch a pilot programme in the city of Mutare that will give people with palliative care needs and disabilities increased access to care.

The pilot will look to achieve a much better understanding of the needs of people with disabilities who would benefit from palliative care, whilst also measuring the programme’s effectiveness in improving their quality of life. Healthcare professionals and caregivers will be given special training, as well as the tools required to help understand people’s needs and improve care. Targeted campaigns will be undertaken to raise awareness of palliative care services and increase understanding of people’s rights to access this care.

The barriers and challenges that people with disabilities and palliative care needs face on a daily basis affect all aspects of their lives. The grant, funded with UK aid from the British people, will address some of those barriers and genuinely make a real difference to their welfare, leading to sustainable, long-term change.

Palliative care is an essential component of Universal Health Coverage, a key target within the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This project is contributing to the UK Government’s commitment to achieve those goals.

Derek Bodell, Chair of IHBS UK, said: “In Zimbabwe, everyone with a disability should be able to access the essential health services they need, including palliative care. I’m delighted that the UK Government are funding IHBS UK so that we can give some of the world’s most vulnerable adults and children the opportunity to get palliative care and support at a time in their lives when they often feel forgotten or marginalised.”