Palliative care in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region despite some progress\nmade since the first hospice was opened in Zimbabwe in 1979, still lags far behind\nthat of countries with developed economies, and relatively suffers from\nnot being wholly included into mainstream public health service delivery in\nSSA. The situation is made worse due to relatively poor and pervasive sociopolitico-\neconomic factors and the challenge of the changing and increasing\nnon-communicable disease epidemiology in SSA countries. This situation results\nin a tension between scarce resources and service needs/provision which\nprevails in a good number of SSA countries. In large part the situation where\npalliative care, end of life and the death trajectory converge in SSA countries\ncurrently portrays one of scarcity of resources and suffering for those ill SSA\npatients who need the services. This article is an overview of the current situation\nas pertains to palliative care services in the SSA region and some of the\nfactors that contribute to or perpetuate the current state of palliative care delivery\nin SSA countries.
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