2017; Volume 18, No 1, January
IAHPC Traveling Scholars’ Reports
2016 Traveling Scholars reach four continents
By Genevieve Napier, IAHPC Programs and Projects Manager.
Genevieve’s role involves assisting the Executive Director in planning, implementing and evaluating ongoing and future IAHPC programs. An important and rewarding part of her work is the personal contact she maintains with individual grantees throughout the application process and once they return to their workplace to implement what they have gained from an IAHPC grant. Here, Genevieve looks back on 2016 and shares some insightful comments from Traveling Scholars.
As one year comes to an end and a new one begins, it is time to reflect on the IAHPC’s accomplishments and impact. So we turn to our Traveling Scholars. The IAHPC Traveling Scholarship program provides financial support to palliative care professionals from developing countries who wish to continue their education by attending a meeting, conference, seminar, workshop, internship, or in any other educational activity.
Traveling Scholars from Bangladesh, Guatemala, India and Mexico received grants to travel to Buenos Airesfor the 2nd International Conference of the International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN), 18 to 21 May 2016.
In 2016, the IAHPC supported 65 palliative care professionals from around the world to attend a meeting, conference, seminar, internship, or some form of an educational activity. Our Traveling Scholarship recipients were from Africa, South America, Central America, Asia, Caribbean and North America.
The IAHPC team finds inspiration from our scholars, which deepens our commitment to continue to advance palliative care throughout the world. Here are just a few of the inspiring and moving comments that we have received from some of our 2016 Traveling Scholars.
“My patients are the greatest beneficiaries of my newly acquired knowledge and skills.”
Dr. Andrew Amata from East Coast Demerara, Guyana
Attended the 5th International African Palliative Care Conference, Kampala, Uganda, 16 to19 August 2016.
“We must make palliative care services available as air.”
Ms. Abiola Durojaiya Omowumi from Ilorin, Nigeria, quoting Dr. Jacinto Amandu, formerly of the Ugandan Ministry of Health.
Attended the 5th International African Palliative Care Conference, Kampala, Uganda, 16 to 19 August 2016.
“I have learnt . . . that no effort is too small and no challenge is too great to overcome.”
Dr. Anita Agbeko from Kumasi, Ghana.
Attended the 5th International African Palliative Care Conference, Kampala, Uganda, 16 to19 August 2016.
“I now feel more confident and well equipped to advocate for . . . those in need [to] have access.”
Ms. Mildred Ndamukaneyi Bosha from Harare, Zimbabwe.
Attended the 5th International African Palliative Care Conference, Kampala, Uganda, 16 to19 August 2016.
“My plan of action going forward is to advocate for the rights of children who have no voice.”
Ms. Penelope Mathe from Johannesburg, South Africa.
Attended the 5th International African Palliative Care Conference, Kampala, Uganda, 16 to 19 August 2016.
(Read more Traveling Scholars’ reflections on this conference in the October 2016 issue of the IAHPC Newsletter).
“I realized we are not alone in the work we do and the challenges we face.”
Dr. Lee Ai Chong from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Attended the Education in Palliative and End of Life Care (EPEC) 2016 Pediatrics, Auckland, New Zealand, 11 to 12 April 2016. (Read Lee Ai's report in the June 2016 issue of the IAHPC Newsletter).
“The passion that was exhibited by the conference delegates was of great inspiration to me … Activities done by providers of Palliative Care were . . . at a very small scale but [were] life changing.”
Dr. Mwate Joseph Chaila from Lusaka, Zambia.
Attended the 21st International Congress on Palliative Care, Montreal, Canada, 18 to 21 October 2016. (Read Mwate Joseph’s report, and those of other Traveling Scholars who attended this conference, in the December 2016 issue of the IAHPC Newsletter).
“Something in the way I think about palliative care has changed since I came back from the conference.”
Dr. Arunangshu Ghoshal from Mumbai, India.
Attended the 2nd ICPCN Conference: Children's Palliative Care, Buenos Aires, Argentina,18 to 21 May 2016.
“… it has been a blessing to have benefited [from] the scholarship that allowed me to get trained and to expand my knowledge in pediatric palliative care.”
Ms. Myriam Rios from Guatemala City, Guatemala.
Attended the 2nd ICPCN Conference: Children's Palliative Care, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 18 to 21 May 2016. (Read Myriam’s report, and reflections from other Traveling Scholars who attended this conference, in the August 2016 issue of the ICPCN Newsletter).
“I opened my mind to other countries’ realities and I feel my vision is wider now.”
Dr. Alexandra Tatiana Fernandez Davila from Quito, Ecuador.
Attended the VIII Latin American Congress on Palliative Care, Mexico City, Mexico, 14 to 16 April 2016. (Read a report on this conference in the July 2016 issue of the IAHPC Newsletter).
“… we are not alone [in] this matter.”
Dr. Pascal Sahoury from Willemstad, Curaçao.
Attended the Workshop on the Availability and Rational Use of Opioid Analgesics, Needhams, Barbados, 13 to 14 October 2016.
Links
- Read Genevieve’s bio on the IAHPC website
- Contact Genevieve by email
To find out more about IAHPC’s Program Support Grants, and our Traveling Scholarships and Traveling Fellowships, please visit our website. Through these programs we support projects and individuals around the world, especially in developing countries in Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America.
You can contribute to this program and help palliative care workers attend and participate in congresses and courses by donating to the Traveling Scholarships Campaign in the Global Giving website.