Ntizimira Christian R, Nkurikiyimfura Jean Luc, Mukeshimana Olive, Ngizwenayo Scholastique, Mukasahaha Diane, Clancy Clare
OhioHealth HomeReach Hospice, Kobacker House, 800 McConnell Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43214-3463, USA.
Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK), 1024 Rue de la Paix, Kigali City, Kigali, PO Box 655, Rwanda.
Ecancermedicalscience. 2014 Dec 11;8:493. doi: 10.3332/ecancer.2014.493. eCollection 2014.
We are often asked what challenges Rwanda has faced in the development of palliative care and its integration into the healthcare system. In the past, patients have been barred from accessing strong analgesics to treat moderate to severe pain, but thanks to health initiatives, this is slowly changing. Rwanda is an example of a country where only a few years ago, access to morphine was almost impossible. Albert Einsten said 'in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity' and this sentiment could not be more relevant to the development of palliative care programmes. Through advocacy, policy, and staunch commitment to compassion, Rwandan healthcare workers are proving how palliative care can be successfully integrated into a healthcare system. As a global healthcare community, we should be asking what opportunities exist to do this across the African continent. Champions of palliative care have a chance to forge lasting collaborations between international experts and African healthcare workers. This global network could not only advocate for palliative care programmes but it would also help to create a culture where palliative care is viewed as a necessary part of all healthcare systems.
我们经常被问到，卢旺达在发展姑息治疗并将其纳入医疗体系的过程中面临了哪些挑战。过去，患者一直无法获得强效镇痛药来治疗中度至重度疼痛，但多亏了各项健康倡议，这种情况正在慢慢改变。卢旺达就是一个例子，就在几年前，该国几乎无法获取吗啡。阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦说过：“困难之中必有机遇”，这种观点对于姑息治疗项目的发展再贴切不过了。通过宣传、政策制定以及对关怀的坚定承诺，卢旺达的医护人员正在证明姑息治疗如何能够成功地融入医疗体系。作为全球医疗界，我们应该问问在整个非洲大陆这样做存在哪些机遇。姑息治疗的倡导者有机会促成国际专家与非洲医护人员之间的持久合作。这个全球网络不仅可以倡导姑息治疗项目，还将有助于营造一种文化，使姑息治疗被视为所有医疗体系的必要组成部分。
