They do their utmost

Promise and limits of palliative care in two refugee camps in Rwanda, a qualitative study

Bibliographic Data

ID19502893
AuthorsSonya De Laat (0000-0002-8203-3249, Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton Canada, corresponding author), Emmanuel Musoni (0000-0001-6222-5246, University of Rwanda), Emmanuel R Musoni (Psychiatry, University of Rwanda, Rwanda), Kevin Bezanson (NOSM University, Thunder Bay, Canada), Rachel Yantzi (0000-0003-4427-6028, Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton Canada), Olive Wahoush (0000-0001-8129-2356, McMaster University), Elysee Nouvet (0000-0002-1607-3453, School of Health Studies, Western University, London, Canada), Matthew Hunt (0000-0003-4190-0163, McGill University), Takhliq Amir (0000-0002-0536-6701, Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton Canada), Carrie Bernard (0000-0003-4705-8245, Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada), Christian Ntizimira (0000-0002-8915-0472, African Center for Research on End-of-Life Care, Kigali, Rwanda), Lisa Schwartz (0000-0002-4959-225X, Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton Canada)
Year2024
Volume40
Issue2
Pages153-181
Publication date2024-04-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMedicine Conflict & Survival (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1362-3699 • E-ISSN: 1743-9396
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13623699.2024.2339732
PMID38634428
OpenAlexW4394920409
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited34

After often gruelling journeys, some refugees arrive at secure locations with severe injury or illness. Others find themselves shortly thereafter facing a life-limiting health condition. Palliative care has been the focus of recent research, and of academic and aid sector dialogue. In this study, we ask: What are experiences and needs of patients and care providers? What opportunities and obstacles exist to enhance or introduce means of reducing suffering for patients facing serious illness and injury in crisis settings? We present findings of a qualitative sub-study within a larger programme of research exploring moral and practical dimensions of palliative care in humanitarian crisis contexts. This paper presents vignettes about palliative care from refugees and care providers in two refugee camps in Rwanda, and is among the first to provide empirical evidence on first-hand experiences of individuals who have fled protracted conflict and face dying far from home. Along with narratives of their experiences, participants provided a range of recommendations from small (micro) interventions that are low cost, but high impact, through to larger (macro) changes at the systems and societal levels of benefit to policy developers and decision-makers

Palliative care · Political science · Qualitative research · Refugee · Social science · Sociology · Health and Conflict Studies · Law · Medicine · Middle East and Rwanda Conflicts · Migration, Health and Trauma · Nursing

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