|
Message from the Chair
and Executive Director
Roberto Wenk, MD (Argentina)
Liliana De Lima, MHA (USA)
Dear readers:
This month we will focus our announcement on four important meetings that will happen soon. These meetings are crucial to the development of palliative care worldwide. It is imperative that we actively advocate for a stronger palliative care agenda.
The meetings are:
XVII International AIDS Conference
The XVII International AIDS Conference will take place in Mexico City, August 3-8. We have been working for several months with the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance (WPCA), the Open Society Institute (OSI), and others to include palliative care in the scientific program of this conference. Although the organizers did not include a single plenary session on palliative care, several posters, breakers sessions and non-abstract driven sessions are included in the program. As you know, palliative care in HIV/AIDS receives little attention and although most of the countries around the globe have national palliative care programs in place, only a few have palliative care included as an integral component of the care of HIV/AIDS patients. Palliative care is not an all or nothing approach to patient care but a sound plan of action in which pain and other symptoms are addressed and treated concurrently by a team of professionals. OSI has organized a human rights march on August 6th at 1:30 pm in the Global Village. If you happen to be there, please come and join us.
To lean more about the conference, information about costs, travel and registration, please click on http://www.aids2008.org/
12th World Congress on Pain
The 12th World Congress on Pain, sponsored by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) will take place on August 17 - 22, 2008 in Glasgow Scotland, UK. Although most of this Congress focuses on basic science, research and clinical aspects of pain; some sessions address the lack of opioids for the proper management of pain, and highlight policies that impede appropriate access to pain relief. For several years, IAHPC has joined efforts with IASP to bring attention to this matter, especially as it relates to developing countries.
For information and registration to this congress,
click on: www.iasp-pain.org/2008Congress.htm
UICC World Cancer Congress
According to data from WHO, there are currently 24.6 million people living with cancer and it is estimated that the incidence of new cancers will double through 2050. The International Union Against Cancer is hosting this World Cancer Congress in Geneva, Switzerland on August 27-31 to bring attention to these issues and to promote the development of national cancer control programs and policies to reduce the incidence of preventable cancers as well as to promote appropriate treatment of patients in need.
The IAHPC will be present in this Congress and in the cancer leader’s summit where current strategies on cancer control will be evaluated and new ones identified. We will be supporting additional and stronger palliative care measures and policies to be included as a component of cancer care.
For additional information about this Congress, click on http://www.uicc-congress08.org/
IAHPC has Grants for travel to the 17th International Congress on Palliative Care
Please note that the deadline for applications for grants for Montreal has been changed to July 15th, 2008.
We have received an enthusiastic response to our call for applications from palliative care workers from developing countries to attend the 17th International Congress in Montréal on September 23-26 ( www.pal2008.com/index-e.html ). Ten applicants will be chosen to receive a US $2,000 grant to support travel to this meeting. The congress organizers have put together a comprehensive program with sessions in English, French and Spanish. This will be a truly international conference and we wish we could support many more, but our resources are limited.
Those interested in applying for a grant to attend this meeting, please complete a Traveling Scholarship application through our website at http://www.hospicecare.com/Travellscholars/
Applications are accepted from individuals from all health professions and an effort will be made to have a balanced regional representation. Palliative care workers from Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Africa are welcome to apply. Applicants with accepted posters will be given preference. Deadline to apply is July 15th .
To apply, individuals must be IAHPC members. One may complete an online application for membership followed by filling in the Traveling Scholarship application and sending a copy of your CV, in English. To join IAHPC, please click on www.hospicecare.com/join.htm Note, there is a sliding scale fee schedule based on income.
If you are already a member, to apply for the traveling scholarship, please click on www.hospicecare.com/forms/travel-scholar-apply.htm
Once you have completed your application, please submit a copy of your CV to [email protected]
We look forward to your submissions!
IAHPC will host a booth at the meeting; if you plan to attend, please stop by and say hello.
For information about the Congress, registration and a copy of the program, click on http://www.pal2006.com/
Last, but not least, we are delighted to announce that we have finished our discussions on a new strategic plan. Our board of directors and several leading experts from the field have made great proposals and suggestions as to how and where we should focus our efforts to continue the work of IAHPC. We will be announcing our final plans in the next month, and are excited about the way it will provide direction as we move forward.
Until next month,
Roberto Wenk, MD
Chair, Board of Directors
Liliana De Lima, MHA
Executive Director
Email this page to a friend!
Top of Page |
