Africa-Press – Eswatini. The Minister of Health, Hon. Mduduzi Matsebula (MP), has emphasised the critical role of hospice and palliative care in improving the quality of life for adults and children living with life-limiting conditions.
He made the remarks during the Hospice and Palliative Care Day commemoration held at the Eswatini Hospice Centre under the theme, “Achieving the Promise: Universal Access to Palliative Care.”. This event was graced by the presence of Her Royal Highness (HRH) Inkhosikati Make Langangaza, who was the Guest of Honour at the occasion.
Speaking at the event, Minister Matsebula noted that the theme reflects the outcomes of the 2024 United Nations High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), where member states recognised UHC as fundamental to achieving all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He explained that UHC is not only concerned with health and well-being as outlined in SDG 3, but also with goals such as poverty eradication, access to education, gender equality, climate action, and the creation of peaceful and inclusive societies.
The Minister said that universal health coverage ensures that all people can access promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative health services without facing financial hardship. He stressed that equity is central to UHC, ensuring that the poorest and most marginalised populations are able to obtain the care they need, particularly palliative and hospice services. According to Minister Matsebula, evidence shows that progress towards UHC leads to better health outcomes, especially for vulnerable groups.
Highlighting the importance of palliative care in Eswatini, a country with a high burden of non-communicable diseases, the Minister explained that such care addresses not only medical needs but also the physical, social, psychological, and spiritual challenges faced by patients and their families. He added that the Government’s role is to ensure access to palliative care soon after a life-limiting diagnosis, rather than solely at the end of life, so that individuals can live with comfort and dignity.
Minister Matsebula acknowledged that achieving universal coverage for palliative care requires a multisectoral approach, noting that no single Ministry can accomplish this on its own. He expressed gratitude to Her Royal Highness Inkhosikati Make LaNgangaza for her 35 years of leadership at Eswatini Hospice at Home and pledged the Ministry’s continued support to develop the organisation into a centre of excellence while decentralising palliative care services across all health facilities and communities.
He concluded by stating that the presentations and discussions during the event had provided much food for thought and reminded attendees of the shared responsibility to advance universal access to quality palliative care. He then invited Her Royal Highness to deliver her address to the gathering.
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