Dr Anne Merriman Obituary

My friend Anne Merriman, who has died aged 90, was a pioneering expert and laminitis of nan Hospice Africa charity, which intends to connection “palliative attraction for each those successful need” crossed nan continent.

While moving successful Singapore successful nan 1980s, Anne devised an affordable morphine-based painkiller, and took it to Africa successful nan 90s. In 1993 successful Kampala, Uganda, she founded Hospice Africa, establishing a hospice exemplary that could beryllium adapted for different countries. By 2023, Hospice Africa had cared for much than 37,000 patients successful Uganda, and coming it helps supply home-based palliative attraction successful much than 35 countries crossed Africa.

Born successful Liverpool, Anne was nan 3rd of 4 children of Josie (nee Dunne), a typist, and Thomas Merriman, a superior schoolhouse headteacher. Aged four, Anne had opened a mag astir missionaries successful Africa and told her mother she was “going to thief these children”. That condemnation deepened when, astatine 14, she watched The Visitation, a movie astir aesculapian nuns successful Africa.

After her secondary acquisition astatine Broughton Hall Convent grammar school, Anne crossed nan Irish Sea successful 1954 to subordinate nan Medical Missionaries of Mary. As a young sister she studied medicine astatine University College Dublin, and connected gaining her grade successful 1963, she departed for Nigeria for nan first of 2 postings there.

In 1973 Anne near nan bid and returned to Liverpool to activity arsenic a advisor and elder teacher successful geriatric medicine astatine nan David Lewis Northern infirmary for 4 years. The infirmary closed successful 1978, and Anne continued to create her compassion-driven attack to palliative attraction while revamping nan geriatric medicine units astatine hospitals successful Whiston and St Helens.

Anne Merriman pinch graduates of nan Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care, Kampala, which she helped group up successful 2009

Anne’s mother was bully friends pinch my grandmother, and our families had successful communal a favourite vacation cottage successful nan Lake District. Despite her emotion of that area, and her ties to Liverpool, aft Josie’s decease successful 1981 Anne moved overseas again, first to Malaysia successful 1983, to return up an subordinate professor domiciled successful nan section of nationalist wellness astatine nan Universiti Sains Malaysia successful Penang, past to nan National University of Singapore nan pursuing twelvemonth arsenic a elder school fellow.

From her level she started nan volunteer-led Hospice Care Group, which became nan country’s Hospice Care Association. With thief from nan assemblage hospital, she developed a groundbreaking look of affordable axenic oral morphine – comprising morphine powder, h2o and a preservative.

On becoming aesculapian head of nan recently opened Nairobi hospice successful 1990, Anne took that look to Kenya. It was Kampala, though, that became location for nan past section of her life, and wherever she decided to group up Hospice Africa. There, Anne besides helped to found nan African Palliative Care Association (2003) and nan Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care successful Africa (2009).

Anne was made MBE successful 2003, and was posthumously conferred pinch Uganda’s National Independence Diamond Jubilee medal.

She is survived by 2 nieces, Paula and Jane.