Our Inspiration

Dr. Anne Merriman (1935–2025)

In May 2025, the pioneer of palliative care in Africa, Dr. Anne Merriman, passed away peacefully in her home five days after marking her 90 th birthday. Dr. Anne dedicated her life to ensuring that the critically ill are pain- free and surrounded by dignity, peace, and love in their time of need. Born in Liverpool to Irish parents Dr. Anne’s remarkable career brought her to Uganda 1993 where she set up Hospice Africa Uganda and developed a model of holistic palliative care she wanted replicated throughout Africa. Dr Anne introduced affordable oral liquid morphine to Uganda, a move that which has revolutionised pain relief for cancer patients and the critically ill. And thanks to her relentless advocacy, Uganda became one of the first countries in Africa to allow nurses to prescribe morphine, a landmark shift that made relief from pain accessible to the many thousands of patients who live far from hospitals and physicians. Her vision extended far beyond Uganda. She wanted palliative care to be available to all in need in Africa; and significant headway has been made on this this ambitious goal is being achieved through the training of thousands of healthcare workers from all over the continent at Hospice Africa Uganda’s Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care in Africa (IHPCA). When Dr Anne arrived in Uganda, three African countries had palliative care. The fact that 37 countries today have palliative care is testament to her visionary leadership. Dr Anne believed no one should die in pain, regardless of where they were born, their religious beliefs, or how much money they had. She challenged injustice and systems to transform care for thousands of critically ill who would have otherwise suffered without pain relief in silence. But while her passing marked the end of an era, her legacy inspires HOW in our work