Background
The Sunita Project, launched on April 1, 2022, is a three-year initiative led by the International Nepal Fellowship Nepal (INFN) and EMMS International, with funding from UK Aid Match through the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO). The project addresses the unmet palliative care needs in rural Nepal, specifically in Kaski, Rukum West, Lamjung, and Surkhet districts, with a focus on combating poverty and reducing gender inequalities. Aligned with the World Health Organization’s Public Health Strategy for Palliative Care and Nepal’s National Strategy for Palliative Care, the Sunita Project aims to provide accessible, affordable, and patient-centered palliative care services. By integrating healthcare services at community and hospital levels, the project strives to ensure comprehensive, holistic care, including support for chronic diseases, while contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Major Achievements
The overall achievements of the Sunita project include meeting all the project indicators. The number of trained health workers in palliative care has increased and achieved its target. Furthermore, the Sunita project has successfully provided palliative services to more patients than planned through Green Pastures Hospital (GPH), Gurkha Welfare Trust (GWT), and rural palliative care hospitals. Additionally, more Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) have been trained to identify patients in need of palliative care.
Individuals who received palliative care services, along with their family members, expressed high satisfaction with the support they received from hospitals and community health care providers. More community members and students have become aware of palliative care services. With the assistance of FCHVs, a larger segment of the community has been reached, and awareness of palliative care services has grown.
Key Points
- Increased and reached more palliative care patients in all seven sites
- Provision of more palliative care services from other hospitals besides GPH and GWT
- Community-based palliative care is helpful in reaching more community members in rural sites.
- There should be more involvement of mother’s groups and community people in orientation with the help of FCHVs and community programme implementers.
- There has been an increase in knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) on NCD and palliative care services among community members and school students.
Study Area: Kaski, Lamjung and W.Rukum
Team: Dr. Janak Thapa, Ms. Pragya Pokharel, Ms. Salina Thapa and Ms. Pabitra Balampaki
Study Duration: December 2024 to March 2025