Co-design and pilot of a novel model of compassionate community incorporating Ubuntu philosophy to better sup-port end-of-life for patients and their families in Zimbabwe. (360G-Wellcome-327336_Z_25_Z)

Global serious health-related suffering (SHS) burden has increased to 73.5 million people with estimated 48 million people to die with SHS or life- limiting illness by 2060. This accounts for approximately 47% of all global deaths since 2016. 80% of these deaths will occur in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) where people live and die with SHS, have unmet palliative care needs or very limited access to healthcare services. SHS has considerable cost and burden to society, and avoidable bed blocking in underfunded healthcare systems/services. Palliative care is essential health service under World Health Organisation, Universal Health Coverage that reduces suffering, yet only 14% of people who need it receive it, mainly in high-income- countries. Compassionate communities (CC) are a public health approach to palliative care, which promotes CC and equitable access to end-of-life. This qualitative study is a co-design and pilot a novel model of a CC that applies Ubuntu African philosophy of communalistic solidarity values over individualism to better support end-of-life in Zimbabwe. Study design and data collection methods include focus groups, in-depth interviews, and co-designed workshops CC framework, community asset training to be developed, delivered and piloted. Data collected will be thematically analysed for perceived acceptance, burden, empowerment and sustainability.