“A Soft Death:” Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Palliative Care in Senegal

Background and Objectives Palliative care (PC) is a specialty medical service that aims to address the bio-psycho-social-spiritual needs of patients with serious illnesses and their care partners. Despite the value of PC, its expansion in sub-Saharan Africa has been uneven and particularly underdeveloped in Senegal due to variability in access to training resources and funding. This study sought to understand the current landscape of PC services in Senegal and the barriers and opportunities in its growth. Research Design and Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six PC clinicians, four caregivers of people with serious illnesses, one driver for a PC service, and one public health professor, all native to Senegal. Questions addressed their experience delivering or receiving PC, perceptions of barriers to implementation and access, and recommendations for additional resources and initiatives. Interviews were translated and transcribed from French into English. Transcripts were qualitatively coded for concepts during open and focused coding to identify themes. Results Five themes were identified: 1) the current landscape of PC, 2) barriers to implementing PC, 3) strategies and philosophies in care, 4) unique features of Senegalese culture, and 5) the future of PC. Discussion and Implications Our findings demonstrate that PC in Senegal remains an under-resourced and underutilized specialty medical service, but work is being done by personally committed clinicians. Results can inform PC expansion by highlighting important cultural factors influencing care in Senegal, as well as the need to expand training opportunities for clinicians, increase education of other medical providers and the public about the nature of PC, integrate PC into the healthcare system, and expand research to evaluate the impact of these resources. PC has the potential to be an important force for improving the quality of life for Senegalese patients and their care partners.