Building on Strength: New chair outlines IAHPC's strategy

By IAHPC Chair Mary Callaway

I am pleased to welcome our new board members and thank our continuing directors for their steadfast commitment. The diversity of experience, perspectives, and skills across our board is one of IAHPC’s greatest assets.

A priority of my tenure as chair is to strengthen board engagement across our four pillars of work, ensuring that every director is actively involved and that board leadership remains strategic, informed, and responsive.

Core areas to advance our mission

IAHPC’s mission is grounded in four core areas: advocacy, education, research, and communication. These pillars guide our work toward our vision of a world free from serious health-related suffering. As outlined in our 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, our focus over the coming years includes:

• Advocacy: Advance policies, partnerships, and awareness to expand access to palliative care and ensure the balanced and rational use of essential medicines.
• Education: Build a skilled global palliative care workforce through accessible, high-quality learning opportunities for professionals, caregivers, and communities.
• Research: Support practical, applied research that strengthens evidence-based decision-making and informs policy and practice.
• Communication: Share compelling stories of change, knowledge, and impact to inspire action and strengthen the global palliative care movement.

Board committees and working groups aligned with these core areas will play a key role in guiding and monitoring our progress.

Key priorities and strategic initiatives

Strengthen Advocacy
We will continue to elevate palliative care as an essential component of health systems worldwide, working collaboratively with governments, civil society, and faith leaders to integrate palliative care into policy and practice.

Expand Education & Learning Opportunities
Education remains central to IAHPC’s mission. We will expand palliative care education by strengthening partnerships with academic and professional organizations, actively promoting available learning resources, and improving the quality and reach of our education programs. Through focused workshops and webinars, the organization will equip practitioners, members, and caregivers with practical knowledge, including effective use of the newly released Essential and Expanded Palliative Care Packages for Adults and Children.

Advance Practical Research
We will continue designing and implementing research projects to improve patient care. We will build research capacity among members in low- and middle-income countries by strengthening skills, setting clear research priorities, and promoting best-practice guidelines for palliative care research. The organization will also apply shared research and evaluation methods across its four pillars of work to measure impact, improve effectiveness, and guide continuous improvement.

Enhance Communication & Member Engagement
We will continue to generate positive stories and strengthen communication with and among our members, expand outreach through strategic partnerships with allied organizations, and increase public visibility for both IAHPC and its members. By actively sharing reliable, high-quality information and promoting IAHPC’s resources, tools, and educational opportunities, the organization continues to position itself as a trusted global voice for palliative care.

Increase Board Engagement & Working Group Participation
Active participation by board members in the core committees as well as working groups—including finance, fundraising, and membership—will strengthen oversight, accountability, and strategic alignment.

Strengthen Fundraising & Financial Sustainability
Expanding donor engagement and demonstrating the impact of philanthropic support are essential to advancing our mission. Strengthened fundraising will allow us to invest in programs, people, and innovation.

Grow the Membership & Organizational Capacity
We aim to expand individual and institutional membership, particularly in underrepresented regions, while strengthening staff capacity as resources allow. Increased staffing will enable more responsive and effective service to our global community.

Moving forward together

As we look ahead, I invite all members of the IAHPC community to join in a shared commitment to advancing our mission. Through strong governance, strategic focus, and collective engagement, we continue to have a significant impact on palliative care advocacy, education, research, and communication in pursuit of equitable access to high-quality care worldwide.

Thank you for your trust, partnership, and dedication as we move forward, together.

Read Mary Callaway's bio.

Meet all members of the 2026 board of directors.