IAHPC Scholars at National Conferences Take Action at Home

With IAHPC's current focus on improving access to palliative care nationally, all national associations are invited to apply to the IAHPC Scholarship program. The program helps fund participants at conferences held by national palliative care associations, particularly those in low- and middle-income countries.

So far this year, IAHPC has funded 71 Scholars at eight conferences: IAPC in India (15 scholars), CSPM in Canada (3 scholars), AAMyCP in Argentina (14 Scholars), ASOCUPAC in Colombia (10), HPCAN in Nigeria (5), PALPRAC in South Africa (4), PCAU in Uganda (10 scholars) and OPCC in Australia (10 scholars). Below is a selection of reports from conferences held June through August. The national associations funded were:

"Palliative Care: Revolution. Evolution. Solution"
2025 Palliative Care Conference in Durban, South Africa

"In my work setting, with the new COPC (community orientated primary care) approach, we have an opportunity to create a platform linking community representatives, hospital board members, healthcare workers, and government stakeholders to enhance awareness of palliative care needs and prioritization.

"One example would be to improve the availability and rational use of medicines such as opioids. First, we need to train healthcare workers in prescribing them, in the use of syringe drivers, etc."

Cyrille Mulumba, medical officer/palliative care physician
Western Cape Health Department, Cape Town

"I am responsible for internship, junior doctors and medical registrar training in my day-to-day work. The expertise and connections gained and which I aim to maintain through the network sessions will benefit this training. And the knowledge gained will greatly benefit the 17 primary health care clinics that my hospital supports."

Rihangwele Mukhinindi, specialist family physician
Limpopo Department of Health, Lebowakgomo Hospital, South Africa

"Severe Neurological Compromise: A View from Pediatric Palliative Care"
ASOCUPAC conference in Cartagena, Colombia

"As a member of ASOCUPAC, we requested a meeting with the Ministry of Health to discuss our concern about the lack of some anticonvulsants and neuromodulators in the country, as well as significant restrictions on the presentations of these medications and their prescription for everyone, and to begin to look for solutions."

Juliana Lopera, palliative care pediatrician
Pablo Tobon Uribe Hospital, Medellín, Colombia

"Children who are severely neurologically compromised and their families need a palliative care approach: multidisciplinary team, and escalated evaluation and treatment. I am planning to create a lecture with those from other specialties involved in treating these children, in order to share recommendations on the safe use of opioids for them."

Laura Saavedra Ramírez, Head of Mental Health/Head of Humanism and Bioethics
Hospital Serena del Mar, Cartagena

"Lived Experience: Redefining Care Beyond Diagnosis"
HPCAN conference in Lagos, Nigeria

"During one discussion, participants raised the ongoing challenge of limited access to palliative care medications across the country. In response, the Minister informed us that a dedicated budget line for palliative care had been included in the national health budget.

"Following this announcement, the Hospice and Palliative Care Association of Nigeria, the umbrella body for palliative care in the country, is taking proactive steps to leverage this allocation for the procurement of palliative care medicines. I plan to support advocacy efforts and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure that these medications reach underserved communities.

"I also plan to organize workshops and seminars for healthcare providers and researchers, promoting lived experience-based learning, and supporting the development of context-relevant training materials. Through these efforts, we aim to indirectly strengthen educational content and awareness around palliative care within the wider health ecosystem in Nigeria.

Key takeaways: Redefining care beyond diagnosis, the value of co-creating palliative care services with those who use them. "Initiating care often begins with the provider’s personal commitment and resources, but sustainable support follows when communities see the impact."

Kelechi Uwa-Robinson, research fellow
IVAN Research Institute, Benin City

Read Dr. Uwa-Robinson's abstract presented at the conference, "Identifying Top Research and Clinical Practice Priorities for Palliative Care in Nigeria: A Nominal Group Technique."

"I plan to continue safe and timely prescription of medicines, especially morphine, and continue to advocate for its use, for all palliative care patients and every patient in severe pain. This will reduce the expiry of morphine in warehouses due to inadequate prescription. 

A key takeaway: "Not all valuable knowledge comes from clinical trials or textbooks—some of the most impactful insights are found in patient and caregiver narratives. Empathy is a skill, not just a trait. Storytelling is healing."

Fatimah Adubiaro, medical office, palliative care unit
Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Mushin Lagos

Read Dr. Adubiaro's abstract presented at the conference, "Economic Burden of Pediatric Cancer Patients Reviewed by the Palliative Care Team: A Retrospective Review."

First Meeting of Palliative Psychology in South America
AAMyCP conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina

 "A manifesto for palliative psychology was signed during the meeting, highlighting the importance of recognizing palliative psychology within public policies." 

Mercedes Cerra, resident, interdisciplinary palliative care 
Hospital General de Agudos Dr Enrique Tornú, Buenos Aires

"I learned concrete strategies for therapeutic work with difficult emotions such as anger, anxiety, uncertainty, hopelessness, and grief, in patients, families, and therapists, recognizing the importance of validating and accompanying these emotional experiences."

Future plans include: Collaborating in the design of public policies to include psychology as an integral part of palliative care teams, proposing workshops and faculty development, and promoting training.

Rocío Hauché, fellow
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas , Buenos Aires

"I was able to rethink the importance of including this perspective of care and attention with psychology residents, both theoretically and in its connection with clinical practice, including rotations in specific palliative care settings. Also, the need to participate in interdisciplinary workshops at the hospital that foster discussion of how to approach care when curative treatment is no longer available, or with patients at the end of life."

To further this goal, "I plan to teach introductory classes on palliative care with medical residents from different specialties."

Analía Fernández, clinical psychologist/teaching coordinator
"Manuel Belgrano" Hospital, Buenos Aires

"I am particularly interested in furthering the study of burnout and self-care strategies in palliative care teams, as I believe this is a key issue in ensuring the sustainability of compassionate, quality care."

María Luz Cascallar, psychologist
CareHome, Buenos Aires

"My participation gave me ideas to continue writing about and researching grief and how to accompany grieving children and their families." 

Milagros Di Donato, staff psychologist, chronic pediatric intensive care unit/outpatient clinics
Instituto de Rehabilitación Psicofísica, Buenos Aires

Key takeaways: "Psychological care as a human right. The importance of teamwork. Being able to act in an interdisciplinary team."

Clara Sofía Dellutri, psychologist
Instituto de Oncología Angel H Roffo y PALCARE, Caballito

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