In this episode of World Health Voices on OncoDaily TV, Dr. Gevorg Tamamyan sits down with Dr. Christian Ntizimira, Founder and Executive Director of the African Center for Research on End-of-Life Care (ACREOL), to talk about the evolution of palliative care in Rwanda and the story behind efforts to strengthen research, education, and advocacy in the field.
The discussion explores what palliative care really means, why it is often misunderstood as end-of-life care, and how changing perceptions can improve access and quality of life for patients and families. The conversation also highlights the work of ACREOL, its collaboration with the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, and efforts to integrate palliative care into Rwanda’s public health system.
The interview looks at the importance of destigmatizing, decolonizing, and decentralizing palliative care, while emphasizing that healthcare models cannot simply be copied from one country to another. Cultural context, community involvement, human resources, and locally relevant approaches are essential to building effective healthcare systems.
The conversation also introduces the SAFARI concept, which uses animal archetypes to help healthcare professionals understand different family behaviors, sources of conflict, trauma, and communication challenges in palliative care.
From Rwanda’s healthcare system to global health equity, the discussion ultimately asks how we can bridge the gap between the Global North and Global South and ensure that patients everywhere have meaningful opportunities to receive quality care.