'Living to the end: palliative care for an ageing population' is the theme for this year’s World Hospice and Palliative Care Day celebrated on 13 October. Across Africa, hospice and palliative care services are planning events to mark the day.

In Kampala, Uganda the Palliative Care Association of Uganda is holding a Soccer Gala.

Hospice Ethiopia is holding its first fundraising event to mark World Hospice and Palliative Care Day with a sponsored run in Addis Ababa, to be followed by a charity dinner for people to hear more about the hospice.

Meanwhile in Chebaiywa Village, Kenya, Living Room Ministries International Hospice is holding the Tumaini na Afya Awareness Campaign, meaning 'Hope and Health' in Swahili. It will be an all day event with musical entertainment, a football tournament, volleyball tournament, cross country, relay races, and tug-of-war. The purpose is to create awareness in the community regarding the services of Kimbilio Hospice as well HIV/AIDS and cancer prevention.

In Ilorin, Nigeria the Hospice and Palliative Care Association of Nigeria is organising the Walk of Life- an early morning road walk through a three kilometre route in Ilorin. Handbills will be distributed along the route to raise public awareness.

In Freetown, Sierra Leone the Sierra Leone Palliative Care Association is organising a TV talk show to discuss hospice and palliative care and to advocate for the use of morphine in pain control.

Finally in Windhoek, Namibia, the African Palliative Care Association is holding a Namibia palliative care awareness week from 15 to 19 October, engaging with stakeholders and promoting palliative throughout the week.

This is a small selection of the wide variety of events planned. Details of more events can be found on the World Hospice and Palliative Care Day website it's still not too late to join in – register your event today!