Palliative Care Namibia

20/01/2026

Palliative Care Namibia Welcomes First Pro Bono Paediatric Oncology Admission

The Cancer Association of Namibia (WO30), through its Palliative Care Namibia programme, welcomed its first pro bono paediatric palliative care admission at the House Zietsman Care Facility last week.

The young patient has been supported by CAN’s Childhood Cancer Support Programme (CHICA Namibia) since her diagnosis three years ago and was previously in state curative care.

“Assisting the vulnerable is at the heart of the work we do. Many Namibians cannot afford private care, yet some cancer cases require specialised pain and wound care during the acute palliative phase,” said Rolf Hansen, CEO of the Cancer Association of Namibia and Palliative Care Namibia.

Palliative Care Namibia operates on a balanced model, supporting both privately insured patients and vulnerable state patients where resources allow. While case-by-case admissions of paediatric oncology patients are possible, fully complimentary adult admissions are not yet feasible.

CAN remains committed to fundraising, partnerships, and long-term sustainability to expand access to compassionate, specialist palliative care for those who need it most.

We encourage the public and invite the business and corporate community to please stand with us to expand the Palliative Care Namibia programme to privide much-need medical care and support to financially vulnerable patients.

05/12/2025

17/11/2025

Cancer Association of Namibia (WO30) announces official opening of Palliative Care Namibia unit in Swakopmund, Erongo Region.

The Cancer Association of Namibia (WO30) is proud to announce the official opening of our Palliative Care Namibia (PCN) unit in Swakopmund, scheduled for Friday, 23 January 2026.

All registrations, statutory approvals, and administrative processes have now been successfully concluded. Construction and furnishing of the facility are complete, and the recruitment process commenced in mid-November 2025. This marks yet another significant milestone in bringing this essential service to the community.

This achievement follows a long journey of careful planning, coordinated effort, and steadfast commitment. Through the unwavering support of our partners, donors, and many dedicated Namibians, we are honoured to introduce our 10-bed palliative care unit at the CAN Erongo Centre in the heart of Swakopmund.
More than the establishment of a new facility, this development reflects our shared determination to ensure that individuals and families affected by cancer receive compassionate, dignified, and accessible care when they need it most. We look forward to sharing this important moment with our community as we continue strengthening palliative care services across Namibia.

We are also pleased to confirm that architectural design and town planning for Palliative Care Namibia, Windhoek West, are well underway. This project will advance at full pace from January 2026 and will be located near our Head Office and interim homes, supporting the already established House Zietsman Care Facility by PCN of CAN, in Klein Windhoek.

“As an organisation, the Cancer Association of Namibia remains committed to a proactive and compassionate approach in supporting individuals and families navigating a cancer diagnosis. We look forward to continued collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Services – Namibia, as we work towards making quality palliative care a standard, accessible service within the Namibian healthcare system for all who need it.”- Rolf Hansen, CEO of CAN/PCN.

We extend our sincere appreciation to our programme partners and donors for their unwavering support in realising the vision and establishment of Palliative Care Namibia (PCN).

15/11/2025

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08/11/2025

Thank you for the kind donation and gift of flowers, in lieu of a loved one who went to be with the Lord, dear Fern Funeral Solutions.

06/11/2025

There is no D at the end of love when someone has died. We didn’t "loved" them, we love them. Still. Always. That love doesn’t vanish when their physical presence leaves this world; it simply shifts, deepens, and finds new ways to exist. You are allowed to say their name out loud. You are allowed to tell their stories, to share the memories that make you laugh or cry or both at once. You are allowed to carry them with you, because love like that doesn’t end, it evolves.

I give you permission to scream from the mountain tops that you love them and you always will. Love is not something that anyone can take from you. Death can’t silence it, time can’t erase it, and no one gets to tell you that you should stop speaking their name. In fact, I’m learning that sometimes, after someone dies, our love for them grows even stronger, more sacred, more present, more intentional.

I will honor the ones I love for the rest of my life, and I am proud of that. I am at peace with that. And I want you to be too. Because the truth is, love doesn’t die, it simply changes form, and continues to live in us.

xo
Gabby
www.thehospiceheart.net

21/10/2025