Palliative Care Pioneer Dr Anne Merriman Dies at 90

Dr Anne Merriman, the UK-born former nun who introduced palliative care in Uganda, has died. She passed away on Sunday evening at her home in Muyenga, just days after celebrating her 90th birthday. Mark Donald Mwesiga, the Executive Director of the Palliative Care Association of Uganda (PCAU), confirmed her death to URN on Monday. While the immediate cause of death was not disclosed, Merriman had recently slowed down and was often seen in a wheelchair.

Merriman is celebrated for championing the fight to end pain and suffering among people with life-threatening illnesses such as cancer and HIV/AIDS. Over her more than three decades of service in Uganda, she consistently advocated that access to a dignified death is a fundamental human right.

She arrived in Uganda in February 1993, after successfully introducing palliative care in Singapore in 1984. She had initially focused on controlling severe pain among HIV patients. Her research led her to identify four African countries, including Uganda, that urgently needed palliative care services. Upon arrival, she was hosted at Nsambya Hospital with a team of Franciscan Missionaries of Mary from Dundalk, Ireland.

She later founded Hospice Africa Uganda, which became a cornerstone in the delivery of palliative care in the country. One of her most impactful contributions was the introduction of oral morphine—a low-cost, carefully measured pain-relieving drug. Although developed in Singapore in the 1980s, Merriman helped popularize it in Uganda, where it is now widely available and often provided free of charge.

Healthcare experts say oral morphine has become a game-changer in managing terminal illnesses. In an earlier interview with URN, Dr Jackson Orem, the Executive Director of the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI), said that before prescribing morphine, they would treat the disease but leave patients suffering in pain. 

Today, he noted, pain management is a priority at UCI, where up to 80% of patients present with palliative care needs. Merriman's advocacy went beyond introducing the drug. Recognizing the challenges of opioid regulation and the shortage of qualified prescribers, she played a key role in policy reforms that now allow specially trained nurses to prescribe morphine in Uganda.

Thanks to her efforts, Uganda is now recognized globally as a model for affordable and accessible palliative care. However, despite this progress, only 10% of the 3.5 million Ugandans who require such care annually can access it, according to recent statistics. Dr Merriman leaves behind a legacy of compassion, innovation, and relentless advocacy for the rights of patients facing life-limiting illness.