Abstract

Palliative care is a comprehensive, patient-centred strategy to improve quality of life for those living with life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses through prevention of suffering and relief of suffering. It includes early detection, complete assessment and management of physical, psychological, social and spiritual difficulties of patients and family. The rising burden of cancer, HIV/AIDS, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, chronic respiratory diseases, neurological disorders and other non-communicable diseases has greatly increased the need for accessible and effective palliative care services in Nigeria. Although its importance is increasingly recognised, palliative care is still underdeveloped in many parts of the country due to poor policies, lack of access to essential medicines, shortages of trained health care professionals, poor public awareness and lack of integration into primary health care services. Community Health Nurses (CHNs) are ideally positioned to fill these gaps through the provision of home-based care, symptom control, health education, psychological and spiritual support, carer education and referral services in communities. Their intimate relationships with individuals and families allow them to advocate for early identification of palliative care needs, continuity of treatment and improvement of patients’ quality of life, respecting cultural and individual choices. Capacity building of Community Health Nurses through specialised training, supporting health policies, interdisciplinary teamwork, and increased access to vital palliative care resources is critical to growing community-based palliative care in Nigeria. This study discusses the concept and principles of palliative care, the burden of life limiting illnesses in Nigeria, the current status of palliative care services and the critical role of Community Health Nurses in ensuring equal access to excellent palliative care. It also identifies existing difficulties and recommends evidence-based ways to promote palliative care in the Nigerian primary health care system.

Keywords

palliative care, community health nurses, Nigeria, primary healthcare, homebased care, quality of life, chronic illness, cancer, end-of-life care, universal health coverage