Low Awareness, Economic Burden Hindering Palliative Care Uptake in Kenya

Despite the growing need for palliative care in Kenya, utilization of these services remains low due to poor public awareness, financial barriers, and inefficiencies in healthcare referral systems.

Stakeholders are calling for urgent reforms which include financial protection mechanisms, enhanced public awareness, and improved referral pathways to make palliative care more accessible to patients suffering from chronic and life-limiting illnesses.

According to Dr. Timothy Olweny, Chairperson of the National Cancer Institute, there is still a huge knowledge gap about palliative care which is preventing many Kenyans from seeking this form of care.

He explains that while efforts have been made to incorporate palliative care within the Social Health Authority (SHA) insurance benefit package, the intervention doesn’t go far enough. There is urgent need for financial risk protection for patients with chronic ailment including those suffering from cancers to enable them to fully utilize palliative care services.

“There is a wide gap in knowledge on palliative care and its importance, especially among the public,” says Dr. Olweny. “Even with insurance coverage, cancer patients and those with chronic conditions are forced to dip into their savings or borrow money to afford treatment, which adds a catastrophic financial burden and may prevent them from seeking palliative care.”

The financial challenges, he explains, are compounded by the chronic nature of illnesses such as cancer, forcing many patients to stop working during their treatment journeys. “These patients spend their entire life savings or rely on fundraisers. Financial risk protection is therefore crucial to ensure they can access the care they need without being driven into poverty,” adds Dr. Olweny.

He was speaking at an event to commemorate World National Hospices and Palliative Care Day. The commemoration event is held every second Saturday of October, the day also celebrated the 10th anniversary of the World Health Assembly’s resolution to integrate comprehensive palliative care into global healthcare systems.

Dr. Olweny urged policymakers to establish a social protection fund specifically targeting cancer and other chronic disease patients.

He argues that current insurance schemes do not go far enough in covering the full spectrum of patient needs, including palliative care.

“There is a need for financial risk protection to reduce health disparities and promote access to high-value care,” he emphasizes. “Proper allocation of resources—both human and financial—at the national and county levels is essential to improving uptake and ensuring care delivery.”

As the incidence of cancer and other chronic diseases continues to rise, the economic burden on patients, families, and society will continue to grow.

“With more patients requiring both diagnostic and palliative care, costs will escalate,” Dr. Olweny said.

He also highlighted the need to streamline referral systems to prevent duplication of roles among healthcare providers. “Healthcare workers are often stretched across areas beyond their expertise. Streamlined referral mechanisms will ensure patients with specialized needs are directed to the right providers for quality care,” he says.

David Musyoki, Executive Director of the Kenya Hospice and Palliative Care Association (KEHPCA), underscores the importance of public awareness about the benefits of palliative care.

“Palliative care improves the overall wellness of patients and caregivers—physically, emotionally, spiritually, and socially,” Musyoki explains. “It helps people manage symptoms, anticipate crises, and avoid unnecessary interventions, which enhances their quality of life.”

Musyoki points out that Kenya has more than 106 palliative care centers, yet only about 14,000 patients out of the estimated 800,000 in need receive care annually.

He attributes the low utilization and uptake to low public awareness and limited integration of palliative care into primary healthcare systems.

He echoed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation to embed palliative care in primary healthcare services, noting that this would improve access.

“We need to ensure that palliative care is not only available for cancer patients but also for those with cardiovascular diseases, HIV, and other chronic conditions,” he said.

Musyoki encouraged Kenyans to use KEHPCA’s website, which provides contact details for palliative care providers across the country, to find accessible services.

According to the World Health Organization(WHO), palliative care can help not only patients with cancer but also patients with cardiovascular disease, cirrhosis of the liver, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, HIV, kidney failure, multiple sclerosis, drug-resistant TB and rheumatoid arthritis.

Other conditions include congenital anomalies, blood and immune disorders, meningitis, neurological disorders, and neonatal conditions. Accident survivors with serious physical illness and people with mental agony also need this type of care.

This year’s National Hospices and Palliative Care Day celebration was held at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital in Nairobi and was attended by healthcare providers, chronic ailments warriors and cancer warriors among many stakeholders who joined KEHPCA.