About PALPRAC
The Association of Palliative Care Practitioners of South Africa (PALPRAC) was formed in May 2018, starting as a WhatsApp group of just 13 South African doctors trained in Palliative Medicine, growing to 55 members by the end of that year. It has since grown into the national non-profit association it is today.
Palliative care is delivered by a multidisciplinary team. Depending on a patient’s needs, this typically includes a combination of a doctor, nurse, social worker, spiritual counsellor, psychologist or counsellor, physiotherapist, dietician, occupational therapist, and speech therapist.
PALPRAC was founded by doctors from branches of clinical medicine including general medicine, Family Medicine, Oncology, Paediatrics, Critical Care, and Internal Medicine, who shared a commitment to personalised, quality of life focused care for people facing serious illness. In 2021, recognising that palliative care is a team effort, PALPRAC expanded its membership beyond doctors to include trained nurses, social workers, and other allied health professionals across the care team, aligning with our vision of enabling access to quality palliative care for everyone who needs it.
Today, PALPRAC provides national leadership for palliative care in South Africa. We train and support practitioners, connect a growing network of members and affiliated organisations, and engage with both government and private healthcare systems to expand access to quality palliative care nationally.
Governance
PALPRAC a non-profit registered membership organisation and is led by a Governing Board made up primarily of trained palliative care providers, representing the range of disciplines within the care team, alongside colleagues bringing complementary expertise from outside the clinical field.
Our Treasurer, Fanie Nothnagel, is a qualified Chartered Accountant and experienced NGO advisor. Board member Sandhya Singh previously served as Director-General for Non-Communicable Diseases at the National Department of Health, bringing direct experience of the policy environment PALPRAC works within.
PALPRAC is registered as a non-profit organisation and complies with the reporting requirements of the Department of Social Development. We are governed by a regularly updated constitution, and our annual financial statements are available for review.
PALPRAC’s work is made possible through the generous cornerstone support of the Jannie Mouton Stigting, alongside income from membership fees, training programmes, and our national conference. We are actively working to broaden this funding base and welcome new partners who share our vision for sustainable, quality palliative care in South Africa.
