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Lancaster University has partnered with the online learning platform FutureLearn to provide free access to palliative care education for staff at Asamang SDA Hospital through the charity COMPASS Ghana.

COMPASS Ghana aims to reduce suffering and hardship in resource-poor communities, by unlocking access to quality end-of-life care in Ghana and the wider sub-Saharan region, where palliative care remains stigmatised.

More than 40 healthcare workers have now completed the online course Dying Well: The Role of Palliative Care and Sedation in End of Life Care which aims to teach best practices for managing difficult end of life symptoms. With this knowledge, learners are able to improve care practices, either as a health and social care professional or as a family caregiver.

Dr Yakubu Salifu, a Palliative Care lecturer at Lancaster University and the Chief Executive of Compass Ghana said: “The course, by increasing participants' knowledge and confidence, has the potential to address the difficult conversation around death and dying especially in contexts where cultural beliefs hugely influence health-seeking.

“The course has provided some basic understanding about the concept of death and dying by empowering healthcare professionals to contribute effectively to palliative care, making them valuable assets in healthcare delivery teams and capable of providing quality care to patients in need. The broader impact may extend to influencing policy and fostering a more comprehensive approach to palliative care in regions with similar challenges.”