IAHPC member Maria Cigolini (second from right) and colleagues (R-L): Prof. Melanie Lovell, HammondCare, who provided IAHPC subscriptions so that palliative care workers in places such as the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, could have access to IAHPC's courses; Dr. Sue Conlon, a palliative care primary care advocate in Queensland; Prof. Anthony Herbert, director of Paediatric Palliative Care in Queensland; and Tamsi Coutts, an IAHPC Scholar and general practitioner providing primary care. Photo used with permission.

'Dying Is a Social Event, Not a Medical One': IAHPC Scholars' reports

The IAHPC Scholarship program helps fund participants at conferences held by national palliative care associations, particularly those in low- and middle-income countries. These are some reports from IAHPC member Scholars from recent conferences in Australia, Canada, and Uganda.

"Connecting Systems for Better Care"
2025 Oceanic Palliative Care Conference in Brisbane, Australia 

Dying is a social event, not a medical one. We must START with the patient and work from there–with clinical care, systems and the community.

I plan to do research to: ask stakeholders what they want, use person-based design, and semi structured interviews with a thematic analysis.

Tamsin Coutts, senior medical practitioner palliative care
WA Country Health Service, Australia

Geruna Sumbou at the OPCC conference. Photo used with permission.

Grief is not a problem to be solved; it is a natural consequence of love that must be supported.

The sessions highlighted the chronic under-resourcing of bereavement care (only about 5% of palliative care budgets are allocated to it) and the profound impact of grief on both families and healthcare professionals. 

Healthcare systems need to develop emotional literacy, deep listening skills, and organizational practices that support healthy grieving for patients, families, and staff alike, recognizing that this support begins at diagnosis and continues long after death.

Geruna Sumbou, clinical nurse educator/researcher
Port Moresby General Hospital, Papua, New Guinea

Azhani Amiruddin at the OPCC. Photo used with permission.

Poster presentation: Understanding and Initiating the Processes of Emotional Distress and Health Anxiety in Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice Patients

Azhani Amiruddin, clinical psychologist
NSW Health Manly Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice, Sydney, Australia

Chanelle Burns at the OPCC. Photo used with permission.

As a result of attending I am more firm in my view that we need to tell more stories, stories that bring the humanness of the work to life!

Areas I would like to explore are the "voices" of nonverbal children and how parents give "voice" to their children.

Chanelle Burns, family support practitioner
Very Special Kids, Malvern, Australia

"Advanced Learning in Palliative Medicine" 
2025 Canadian Society of Palliative Medicine Conference, Canada (virtual)

I attended a session on rural and remote provision of palliative care that provided really practical tips and encouragement to use a palliative care lens when providing care in more rural or remote settings.

Kristina Sawatzky, physician
Saskatchewan Health Authority, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

"Embracing Uniqueness and Empowering Communities"
5th Uganda Conference on cancer and palliative care, in Kampala, Uganda

At Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, we have successfully streamlined access to oral morphine across all wards, ensuring timely and equitable pain relief for patients in need. We plan to conduct a hospital-wide study to evaluate current practices in pain assessment and analgesic prescription, in order to target improvements to enhance rational use of medicines.

Palliative care training programs would benefit from incorporating more detailed content on cancer biology—especially emerging concepts such as the tumor microenvironment. A deeper understanding of cancer pathophysiology equips palliative care providers to make more informed clinical decisions, tailor symptom management strategies, and engage meaningfully in multidisciplinary oncology discussions.

Oral presentation: Prevalence of Burnout among Healthcare Professionals: A Survey at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital

Ian Batanda, senior orthopedic officer & palliative care focal person
Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, Fort Portal

Daniel Kamara at the Uganda conference. Photo used with permission.

Palliative care is left out of training for allied health professionals (like nutritionists, physiotherapists, etc.). We complete a four-year degree program without a module or course unit on palliative care and nutrition: we just learn geriatric nutrition, which isn't sufficient because even children and other age groups need palliative care.

As a member of the Allied Health Professionals Council, I am planning to meet a board where I represent nutritionists, to discuss how best to add a module or course unit about palliative care on the curriculum and also include nutrition in cancer as independent modules.

Daniel Kamara, nutritionist
Bwindi Community Hospital, Buhoma

Francisca Nagujja at the Uganda conference. Photo used with permission.

Poster presentation: Palliative Care Service Delivery to Underserved Refugee Populations in Southwest Uganda. Insights from Hospice Africa Uganda’s Outreach and Roadside Clinics Model.

Francisca Nagujja, health service coordinator 
Hospice Africa Uganda / Mobile Hospice Mbarara

One key takeaway [from presenting an abstract] was the importance of clear communication when discussing complex topics. I encourage others to embrace opportunities for presenting their work, as it can facilitate valuable connections and spark innovative ideas in healthcare.

Oral presentation: Strengthening Palliative Care Through Education, Training, and Advocacy in the Ankole Sub-region.

Katherine Nakasita, palliative care nurse
Kitagata District Hospital, Sheema district

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