Marching for Palliative Care in Nepal IAHPC member Dr. Bikash Anand, the first registered palliative care doctor in Nepal and palliative care unit head at Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital, sent us images of a rally to creating awareness on World Hospice & Palliative Care Day, propelled by the attention-getting clamor of percussion instruments. The day also celebrated a formal palliative care sensitization program, and the inauguration of two end-of-life-care beds. Photos (this one and a lead photo on our website Nov. 21 to Dec. 4) used with permission.

China Conference Reflects the Importance of Palliative Care in Asia

By Tania Pastrana
IAHPC Research Advisor

I was honored to represent the IAHPC at the Advances in Palliative Medicine & Hospice Care Academic Conference held at West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University in Xiamen from October 11 to 13, 2024.

IAHPC member Professor Huiping Chen curated a diverse program with national and international speakers from a variety of fields, including IAHPC members and professors Wei Gao and Jinxiang Li. A central theme was advancing palliative care education in China, with a focus on integrating palliative care into undergraduate training and working toward its recognition as a specialty. About 20% of the people in the world who need palliative care live in China, lending global significance to China's role in the future of palliative care.

We took the opportunity to also visit the new palliative care ward at the hospital, and spoke with team members there.

World Hospice & Palliative Care Day, which coincided with the conference, was recognized with a session on "Exploring the Development of Palliative Medicine/Hospice in China." Local and international experts took part, fostering a valuable exchange of knowledge and perspectives on the growth of palliative care in China.

I am grateful for the warm welcome and the engaging exchange of ideas!

Faculty members and speakers at the recent palliative care conference in Xiamen. Photo used with permission.

IAHPC Retains Top-Rated Status

Thanks to people expressing public appreciation for the work that we do, the IAHPC has maintained its top-rated status with GreatNonprofits. Our members are vocal proponents of our work to relieve health-related suffering, particularly in lower-income countries. IAHPC offers:

courses giving practical guidance to palliative care clinicians and other health care workers
reliable resources, such as Pallipedia, the online palliative care dictionary with so much more than definitions
useful publications, such as the Getting Started guide to launching a palliative care or hospice service
programs that give a helping hand to improve on-the-ground services for those in need
member fees on a sliding scale, to respond to economic realities
& more

IAHPC does not accept corporate funding: our work depends utterly on memberships and donations. Please consider becoming a member or making a donation, to help us continue the important work of improving the quality of life for those most in need.

Palliative Care for Professionals

Report by Alejandra Palma on an effective distance education system for health care professionals in Chile, sparked by the country's universal palliative care mandate.

Book Review

Intentionally Interprofessional Palliative Care is both a comprehensive textbook and practical guide, says reviewer Anna Keedwell.

A Regional Powerhouse

Introduction to PACED's many projects to expand and extend palliative care knowledge among health care professionals.

Plus

Two Surveys Underway An international survey of health care professionals is underway to understand how palliative care is provided for patients with heart failure. It is part of the Horizon-EU-funded RAPHAEL project. Those who work with patients with heart failure are invited to take this anonymous, five-minute survey.

An international survey about access to non-pharmacologic interventions for managing children's pain in palliative care, as well as regulatory limitations and barriers to providing quality pain relief to children, is being done by ICPCN and St. Jude's Global Palliative Care Program. Pediatric health care professionals are invited to take this survey, which requires a maximum of 15 minutes.

Like to Speak with Students? Interviews are being arranged in January between volunteers and Master's in Palliative Care students from a variety of health care fields studying in Germany and the Netherlands. Interviews are estimated to last around 30-45 minutes, and palliative care professionals around the globe are being sought as volunteers. If interested, contact [email protected].

IAHPC resources

Always available to all

Global Directory of Educational Programs in Palliative Care, a searchable, continually updated compilation with detailed listings.

Always available to members

Advanced Pain Assessment and Management Course consisting primarily of a discussion of clinical cases.

This Holiday Season

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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.

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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.

Scholarship Program

Your membership helps us produce, and enables access for those with fewer resources, to the following:

Palliative Care in Neurological Conditions
Comprehensive Basic Pain Assessment and Management
Advanced Pain Assessment and Management
Comprehensive Symptom Assessment and Management
Advocacy for global, regional, and national advocacy for palliative care
Pallipedia: Free, online palliative care dictionary
Special Issue on Assisted Dying Practices by several authors
Some Notes for Physicians Contemplating a Career in Palliative and Person-Centered Care by Eduardo Bruera, MD
Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide: Are they clinically necessary or desirable? by Dr. Roger Woodruff
How to Help our Patients in their Terminal Phase by Wilson Astudillo A. and Carmen Mendinueta A.
Cómo Ayudar a un Enfermo Terminal by Wilson Astudillo A. and Carmen Mendinueta A.
Palliative Care in the Developing World - Principles and Practice by Eduardo Bruera, Liliana De Lima, Roberto Wenk and William Farr

Advocacy

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.

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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:

Online Advocacy Course
Mentoring for advocacy to develop palliative care in your country
A chance to join IAHPC delegations to UN and WHO meetings
National association collaboration with IAHPC advocacy initiatives
A chance to apply for the Leadership Development Program (LEAD)

Your membership helps us produce and enables free access to the following resources:

IAHPC Advocacy Policy Briefs
Palliative Care Advocacy Why Does It Matter?
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.

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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:

Global Palliative Care Database
Consensus-based definition of palliative care
Clinical use of tramadol
Opioid Price Watch
IAHPC List of Essential Practices in Palliative Care in English and Spanish
IAHPC Opioid Essential Prescription Package
IAHPC List of Essential Medicines for Palliative Care (in multiple languages)

Information dissemination

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.

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The goal of this pillar is to create and publish positive stories and focused messaging, to support and advance the global palliative care movement.

Your membership allows us to make the following resources available free of charge to the palliative care community:

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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.

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China Conference Reflects the Importance of Palliative Care in Asia

IAHPC Retains Top-Rated Status

Read more of this week's issue of Pallinews

Palliative Care for Professionals

Book Review

A Regional Powerhouse