Developing children's palliative care in Africa through beacon centres: lessons learnt.

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Palliative Care
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Significant advancements in palliative care in sub-Saharan Africa, yet children's palliative care (CPC) requires further development.
• The Beacon Centres programme (established 2009) aimed to enhance CPC access in South Africa, Uganda, and Tanzania.
• Focus on training healthcare professionals and establishing high-standard CPC clinical services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a model for improving children's palliative care (CPC) in sub-Saharan Africa.
• To train 'Navigators' to champion and deliver CPC training and mentorship.
• To assess the feasibility and impact of the Beacon Centres programme.

Main Methods:

• Trained five Navigators in South Africa, Uganda, and Tanzania.
• Navigators conducted needs assessments and delivered a six-month CPC training program.
• Established CPC services and a virtual resource center, integrating CPC into existing healthcare activities.

Main Results:

• 188 participants enrolled in the six-month CPC course, with 80 completing it.
• CPC has been integrated into the participating centers' activities.
• A virtual resource center for CPC was established in South Africa.

Conclusions:

• The Beacon Project achieved significant progress but faced challenges in training, assessment, and integration.
• Lessons learned highlight the need for practical, feasible, affordable, and sustainable models for scaling up CPC.
• Future efforts should focus on improving CPC outcomes for all children requiring care.