2015; Volume 16, No 11, November

Global Palliative Care Community Highlights – the column that brings you initiatives from across the world

Celebrating World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2015 – A first for Barbados

Dr. Natalie Greaves is a founding director of The Barbados Association of Palliative Care and Chairperson of The National Advisory Committee on Chronic Pain Management – The Ministry of Health Barbados.

Inaugural celebration of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day in Barbados: National Church Service with remarks by Dr. Godfrey Xureb, Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean

The inaugural Celebration of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPC) in Barbados was a time of great celebration and represented a coming of age for the local palliative care movement as the day was officially recognized on the nation’s health calendar. A National Church Service was held on the 10 October at the Breath of Life Seventh-day Adventist Church and was well supported by the general public, civil society groups with representatives from the government and Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization also present. The service embraced the global theme of ‘Hidden Lives, Hidden Patients’, and this was reflected in addresses provided by Dr. Kathryn Downer, The Hon. Dr. Dennis Lowe, Dr. Godfrey Xureb, and Pastor Everett Howell.

Health professionals from the Caribbean region with Pallium Canada facilitators at the University of the Southern Caribbean

Collectively, these speakers challenged Barbadians to see themselves as active participants in the growth of palliative care on the island through the building of caring communities that see the value of palliative care, and have the capacity to help those in need. The day also included a public panel discussion moderated by the President of the University of the Southern Caribbean, Dr. Clinton Valley. The panelists, Drs. Natalie Greaves, Lynda Williams and nurse practitioner Priscilla Prevost, provided members of the general public with information on definitions of palliative care, its scope and the benefits of receiving such care. They also gave advice on how communities could incorporate palliative care into existing structures.

The momentum of WHPC Day extended into the following week (12-15 October) when a major palliative care education initiative provided an opportunity for members from various stakeholder groups to increase their knowledge in using a palliative care approach. On Monday, a five-member team from Pallium Canada facilitated training of a group of 45 persons that included medical students and non-professional caregivers. From the 13-15 October an interdisciplinary team of 22 health professionals from four countries in the region (Barbados, Belize, Trinidad and Dominica) increased their palliative and pain management skills by completing the Pallium Canada CORE®and facilitators’ courses. After the course, participants expressed that they had benefited greatly and were highly motivated to return to their institutions and work toward furthering palliative care education and practice in the Caribbean region.

Raising awareness through public engagement and collaboration: Panel discussion. Left to Right: Ms. Deiann Sobers, doctors Natalie Greaves, José Pereira, Kathryn Downer, and Mr. George Greaves

The activities surrounding WHPC Day in Barbados were possible through the collaborative efforts of Pallium Canada, The Barbados Association of Palliative Care, The University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) and The National Advisory Committee on Chronic Pain Management – The Ministry of Health Barbados. Therefore, I sincerely thank Drs. Kathryn Downer and José Pereira (respectively National Director and Scientific Officer of Pallium Canada), Ms. Deiann Sobers (President-BAPC), Mr. George Greaves (Director-USC Barbados) and their respective teams for their tremendous hard work.

Our message to the world:

‘Let’s keep working together to remove the shame, darkness and pain that covers the lives of so many with life-threatening illnesses, and let’s bring them the dignity, light, and comfort that is palliative care.’

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Celebrating World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2015 – Sri Lanka equips school and university students to care for their fellow human beings

Dr. Eugene Corea, Board Member, Palliative Care Association of Sri Lanka, explains how they have raised awareness of palliative care among school children and students as part of their Student Sensitization Program in Palliative Care.

Using music, drama and dance to implement the concept of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day

The Palliative Care Association of Sri Lanka (PCASL) decided to celebrate World Hospice and Palliative Care Day targeting a group of school children that were volunteers in the Sri Lanka Saukyadana Movement (SLSM). The Saukyadana movement is similar to St. John's Ambulance and has a presence in many schools in Sri Lanka. Focusing on school kids seemed to be appropriate to us and in line with the theme for World Day 2015.

The concept behind the celebration was partly to encourage school children to support palliative care activities that would be initiated in their areas by PCASL and Saukyadana. We also wanted young undergraduates, medical students and other graduates to implement this concept using music, drama and dance, video presentations and a one-hour presentation by a medical doctor. We hoped that in doing so, the presenters themselves would be motivated to take to heart the concepts of palliative care.

We were thrilled by the presence of a capacity crowd of 560 that had children standing in the aisles of an auditorium with a seating capacity of 500! What was even more inspiring was the performance of a play let by a group of children from a school in a suburb of Colombo. All the participants were provided with food by PCASL.

PCASL also managed to involve medical students and other undergraduates from state and private facilities in the island in the program, as well as trainees from the national school of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy.


Dr.D.K.D.Mathew, President of the Palliative Care Association of Sri Lanka, addresses more than 500 school children during World Hospice and Palliative Care Day at Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, Colombo.

The Palliative Care Association of Sri Lanka is grateful to the following for their successful involvement in this program:

The program, which was conducted in Sinhala, Tamil and English languages, was funded entirely by the PCASL. October 10, 2015 was an exhilarating and inspirational day for all of us.

The Palliative Care Association of Sri Lanka has taken another step forward by launching the Student Sensitization Program in Palliative Care, enlightening our student generation about the worthy cause of palliative care and equipping them with the necessary skills to care for their fellow human beings.

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