The following organisations feature prominently in Zimbabwe:

Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa (FHSSA)¹⁹

The US-based Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa was established in November 1999 to support the efforts of hospice workers in Africa. An international consultation was held in 2000 to devise a strategy for hospice and palliative care development in the sub-Saharan region. Recommendations for funding were approved and supported by standards for African programmes seeking assistance. These standards were developed from those adopted by the Hospice Association of South Africa.

 Hospice Association of Zimbabwe (HOSPAZ)²⁰

HOSPAZ is a registered public voluntary organisation (PVO) whose mission is to provide national coordination, training and advocacy to support organisations in their provision of hospice and palliative care. All organisations describing themselves either as palliative care providers or home based care groups have been invited to register with HOSPAZ and a database of members is currently being constructed. Palliative care standards have been devised by HOSPAZ and approved by the Ministry of Health, although there is no implementation policy as yet.

 The World Health Organisation (WHO)²¹

 The WHO is currently involved in a community health approach to palliative care for HIV/AIDS and cancer patients in Africa. This joint project - involving the five countries of Botswana, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe - seeks to improve the quality of life of HIV/AIDS and cancer patients in sub-Saharan Africa by developing comprehensive palliative care programmes with a community health approach. The project contains four major elements: team building, situation analysis, needs assessment and action plans.

 The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund²²

The Diana Fund has formed the view that palliative care plays a vital role in the management of life-limiting illness. In particular, palliative care is ideally suited to home based care; it makes use of affordable drugs and it empowers the family to care for their members more effectively.

In 2001, the Diana Fund launched a palliative care initiative which focussed on nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa ( Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and committed an initial £5 million over 5 years. The Fund does not implement palliative care programmes; rather, it supports locally-based partners who are already implementing programmes or who wish to incorporate palliative care into existing home based care services.

Joint United Nations Project on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

The United Nations Theme Group on HIV/AIDS is the key mechanism for policy formulation and action around HIV/AIDS at country level. The aim of the Theme Group is to promote awareness in preventing HIV/STI transmission and to advocate for increased commitment by government, NGOs, the private sector and donors.

USAID/Catholic Relief Services/ Zimbabwe Association of Church-related Hospitals²³

In the financial year 2002, USAID/OFDA provided more than $1 million to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to support food assistance in 20 rural hospitals targeting approximately 150,000 people. In cooperation with the Zimbabwe Association of Church-Related Hospitals (ZACH), CRS provides daily food distributions in 14 rural districts. ZACH also provides 45% of all hospital beds in Zimbabwe and 68% of all rural hospital beds.

‘Twinned’ organisations

Island Hospice, Harare is twinned with three hospices: two in America and one in Wales (Table 5).

Table 5 Hospices twinned with Island Hospice, Harare

* Source: Abigail Fowlkes Gutierrez

In 2003, the Foundation for sub-Saharan Hospices announced its 31st twinning match.²⁴ In the same publication, Val Maasdorp, acting director of Island Hospice writes:

Island Hospice & Bereavement Service in Zimbabwe and Hospice of Central New York have been "involved" since 1985, almost 20 years!! Like any relationship, at times it goes through periods of "non-attention", generally when things get too busy, stressed or fraught, and other priorities are serviced. But it is precisely at times like that when we most need to reach out and relate to others, and to me that is the beauty of our twinning with you guys so very far away. These twinnings should not just be about money: rich twin giving to poorer twin, there is also so much to be gained on the non material side. Whilst visiting in October, I was struck by the very different challenges we all face. The African Hospice ones may appear more apparently difficult, acute, and emotionally stressful, but your path is a different one with challenges I don't envy!! ... Attempting to maintain an appropriate service with a "developed world" standard in a "developing world" country is a daily battle on all fronts. So, although set against a very different environment, because they are committed to the same basic goals, the interest and support I gained from my few days with your hospice staff was so very meaningful. I found myself re-energized to come back and tackle each day's problems with an air of "OK. Let us see what is going to be thrown our way today!!"