ZipporahAli

ZipporahAli

Dr Zipporah Ali is the Executive Director of Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association (KEHPCA). Dr. Ali is a Board Member of the International Hospice and Palliative Care Association (IAHPC). She is on the advisory committee for GAPRI (Global access to Pain Relief Initiative) as well as on the advisory Council for African Palliative Care Association. She is also on the steering committee of Cancer Network of Kenya. She was among several others who received the African Palliative Care Association (APCA) award for her contribution to palliative care in Africa and her work on the inaugural board of APCA. She has previously served on the APCA board and The Kenya Cancer Association Board.
Dr. Ali first became involved in hospice work as a volunteer in 1994 at the Nairobi Hospice. During this time, she developed an interest in palliative care and underwent short courses on palliative care both in Nairobi and the UK. She joined the Nairobi Hospice as a full time employee in 1996 as the Medical Officer and was later promoted to the post of Senior Medical Officer. She decided to go full time as a Palliative Care doctor and pursued a Higher Diploma Course in Palliative Care offered by Oxford Brookes University in conjunction with Nairobi Hospice. At that time, she was the only and first Kenyan doctor practicing palliative care on a full time basis. Dr. Ali plays a big role in education and training of health care professionals in palliative care and is part of the teaching team with the Oxford Brookes University-Nairobi Hospice. She also lectures to medical students at the University of Nairobi. Dr. Ali is also involved in advocacy and creating awareness on palliative care in Kenya. In her leadership role as the national coordinator for KEHPCA, she has been instrumental in fostering strong relationships with the Ministry of Medical Services and the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation to integrate palliative care into government hospitals.
Dr. Ali holds an MD from Ege University, Izmir, Turkey, a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of Nairobi and a Higher Diploma in Palliative Care from Oxford Brookes University. She is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Palliative Care with the University of Dundee through the Commonwealth Scholarships. She has completed the International Pain Policy Fellow program with the International Pain Policy Studies Group (WHO Collaborating Centre for Policy and Communication in Cancer Care, University of Wisconsin)as well as the International Palliative Care Leadership Development Initiative at The Institute of Palliative Medicine at the San Diego Hospice.