Global Palliative Care Community Highlights – initiatives and newsbites from across the world
Waiting for the exit visa
The February issue of the online newsletter, Pallium India, included a poignant story from Dr. Jean Jacob, a palliative care physician employed by Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration, Canada. Dr. Jacob is working with the Pain Relief and Palliative Care Society in Hyderabad as part of the home care team.
You can read an extract from Dr. Jacob’s longer article below. Pictured here is the visit to the patient at home.
In Antharam village, about 50 kilometers outside the city of Hyderabad in India, a 35-year-old named Arjun sits in his small room, waiting – waiting for his care giver to come for a short time in the morning and attend to his needs, waiting for the palliative care team to visit, waiting for someone to change his television channel.
Three years ago, at the age of 32, Arjun developed weakness in his legs and was diagnosed with a rare and incurable condition called limb girdle muscular dystrophy. Today, his legs and left arm have stopped responding to his desires, and soon, as he is well aware, his right arm would, too. He knows what he is waiting for – and he can do nothing but wait.
"The horror of it is that his mind is unaffected by the disease, and he has had to wait and watch his body slowly progress into disuse, as if in a waking nightmare," explains Dr. Jean Jacob. Read the full article here.
To read more inspiring stories and the latest achievements in palliative care in India, sign up to the free, monthly online newsletter of Pallium India.
Help us to help others: IAHPC's annual fundraiser!
How your gift supports the IAHPC mission
Achieved: $24,941
Goal: $30,000
83%
Education
Your gift funds the operational costs of our online courses taught by globally recognized experts who volunteer their time and provide educational resources relevant to palliative care topics. It also supports scholarships that enable palliative care workers to attend educational events and congresses, and allows us to maintain Pallipedia, the free, live, online dictionary.
The goal of this pillar is to implement strategies, resources and tools that will improve the competencies of the global workforce for appropriate palliative care delivery. We have two programs under this pillar plus many other resources for our members.
Your gift enables us to build and strengthen the partnerships that accelerate global, regional, and national advocacy for palliative care. We advocate for its integration into primary health care under universal health coverage and effective access to essential palliative care medicines and packages for people of all ages. Your gift supports our work to prepare delegates and participate in technical consultation meetings of the relevant UN organizations.
The goal this pillar is the integration of palliative care into primary health care within the spectrum of universal coverage to improve access to adequate care for patients in need. We offer the following to our members:
Documents on Human Rights and Access to Medicines and Care
Research
Your gift enables us to continue doing research that provides guidance and recommendations for action, based on responses from the global palliative care community. Such research includes our recent evaluation of the impact of euthanasia and assisted dying practices on palliative care workers and the use of essential medicines for palliative care. It also supports the costs of publications focused on research relevant to palliative care.
The goal of this pillar is to design and implement projects that lead to the integration of palliative care into health policies, resolutions, and key documents. Our studies help us provide guidance and recommendations, and take action based on the responses from the global palliative care community.
Your membership enables you to participate in IAHPC projects such as the:
Your gift enables us to continue our in-depth reporting and book reviews in Pallinews, as well as media campaigns that raise awareness about the need to increase access to care and support for patients and families.
We are a small organization that allocates over 80% of our budget to mission driven programs and to the maintenance of our free website. We need operational funding to continue the work.
Give a gift, get a gift
IAHPC members: When you gift a 2-year membership to a colleague in a low- or middle-income country, we extend your membership by 6 months.
