Palliative Social Work

Abstract

Abstract Africa comprises 54 diverse countries with multiple cultures, tribes, races, and faith systems representing approximately 15% of the world’s population. Palliative care was introduced in 1979 in Zimbabwe and has expanded rapidly across the continent. Specific issues facing Africa, such as poverty, political and economic instability, the interface of traditional/Western medicine approaches, and a wide array of religious/spiritual belief systems, result in widely diverse evolutions of palliative care services. Although there is still limited development, there has been a significant increase in the number of hospice and palliative care services in several countries.