Founded in 1999, FHSSA began as the Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa and is an affiliate of the U.S.-based, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. FHSSA’s mission is building partnerships to enhance compassionate care in Africa.
In 2010, we officially changed our name to “FHSSA” for two reasons. First, we are not a “foundation” in the traditional sense. The second reason is that the wide range of services provided by African hospice and palliative care providers—including support for orphans, for example—made the word “hospice” seem too limited.
At present, over 89 hospice partners from organizations across the U.S. provide resources to advocate for and assist in the provision of quality, compassionate care in 14 African countries. In 2008, more than 250,000 patients and their families were served by FHSSA partners in Africa.
Additionally, FHSSA has collaborated with other global organizations to develop and expand comprehensive hospice and palliative care services in Tanzania and Zimbabwe. These services have positively affected thousands of patients and their families. |