Using compassionate communities to improve palliative care initiatives in low-income urban settings in Cape Town, South Africa

Summary

This project addresses the need to enhance palliative care (PC) in South Africa by establishing Compassionate Communities of Care (CCCs), focusing on community-led support for advanced illness patients. It leverages partnerships and lessons from local and international initiatives using a multistakeholder and -institutional approach. The project aims to establish CCCs and improve PC interactions between patients and service providers, resulting in improved quality of life and lower unplanned admissions; strengthen educational and capacity building among under- and postgraduate students; and improve evidence-informed decision-making for PC service delivery in local underserved populations. The project applies principles of community-based participatory research and integrated knowledge translation and focuses on community engagement, capacity development and sustainable collaboration, in line with the Sustainable Development Agenda and VLIR-UOS objectives.

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