Every year Palliative Care for Children South Africa (PatchSA) members, associates, and friends join thousands of people from around the world in raising awareness of the need for more and better palliative care for children with life-limiting and life-shortening illnesses and their families. Initiated by the International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) in 2014, the #HatsOn4CPC campaign is celebrated annually on the second Friday in October, which this year falls on 11 October. It is a day of action to not only show support for children and their families, but also shine a light on the need to end the inequality of children’s palliative care provision in South Africa and around the world.
Essential element of Universal Health Care
Palliative care has been identified as an essential element of Universal Health Care for people of all ages yet receives minimal support from government health authorities in our country. Children’s palliative care is a compassionate and holistic approach to caring that provides expert pain and symptom management alongside emotional, social, and spiritual support for seriously ill children and their family members, ultimately seeking to ensure an improved quality of life for all.
“The worst possible scenario in any parent’s life is to hear a diagnosis that could or will lead to a shortened life span for their child,” says Sue Boucher, Programme Manager for PatchSA. “In these situations, it is critical to be able to offer multilayered and expert support that will ensure not only the child receives the best possible care, but the parents and other family members, including siblings, feel supported and are compassionately prepared for the worst, while still holding on to hope for the best outcome for their child. That is what palliative care does incredibly well.”
PatchSA estimates there to be in excess of one million children in South Africa who would benefit from palliative care, with less than 5% of them able to access such services, due to limited provision. There are only six dedicated children’s palliative care organisations in South Africa, and these services are constantly battling an ever-increasing need for funding and resources. This means that precious time that could be spent on providing palliative care to children is often taken over by the need to raise funds in order to continue the work they do. There is only one government funded paediatric palliative care post in the country, which is a part-time post for a doctor of only ten hours a week.
Three-part request for the campaign
The Hats On 4 Children’s Palliative Care campaign has a very simple 3-part request. People are asked to wear a hat on Friday 11 October to draw attention to the cause, to post photos onto social media platforms using the hashtag #HatsOn4CPC and are asked to donate to either PatchSA or a children’s palliative care service of their choice. Schools, organisations, and businesses can participate by asking students or staff to pay a small amount to wear a hat on the day which can be donated to PatchSA or the children’s palliative care organisation of their choice.
To find out more about the day and how you can be involved or donate, please visit https://patchsa.org/hats-on-4-childrens-palliative-care-day/