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Message from the Chair
&
Executive Director
Kathleen M. Foley, MD (USA)
Liliana De Lima, MHA (USA)
Dear Readers:
As we announced in our previous edition of this newsletter, the IAHPC joined forces with EAPC and the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance (WPCA) to help plan a meeting of representatives
from national associations to identify and propose areas of work to improve palliative care in their countries. The meeting took place before the start of the 10th Congress of the EAPC in Budapest last month. During the meeting and the Congress, representatives were asked to propose
three critical areas that they will commit to and work on. These commitments were presented during the last day of the Congress as the Budapest Commitments. The three sponsoring organizations will continue to work together to help the national associations attain
their goals. A review of the outcomes resulting from the commitments will be conducted in two years during the next EAPC meeting.
The following are the areas of work that were identified as priorities during the pre-congress session:
Access to Medications
1. To ensure availability in the country, and access, to all palliative care essential medicines (or a close substitutes) on the IAHPC list
2. To have more than 2 potent oral opioids available in at least an immediate onset and a modified release form plus have a parenteral (subcutaneous) medication form
3. To increase the rational use of opioids as reported in consumption reports provided to the International Narcotics Control Board and to encourage an annual increase in use of, and consumption of, these agents to the target date of 2009.
Policy
1. To produce a report on the state of development and the necessary next steps that will be presented to the national authorities (provide information when and how the report shall be presented)
2. To produce guidelines for basic palliative care that is endorsed by the national associations (provide details on the scope of the guidelines)
3. To establish the right of employees to have access to compassionate care leave for those wishing to care for an ill relative
4. To have palliative care included in the national cancer and HIV/AIDS programs
Education
1. To have palliative care inserted in the curriculum for medical/nursing students (and other professionals)
2. To have medical boards recognize and certify palliative care as a specialty/subspecialty
3. To implement specialist training for nurses
4. To implement academic training
5. To establish a certification process that recognizes palliative care competence
Quality
1. To define standards of care (provide detailed standards and a standard development process)
2. To introduce a standard documentation system for palliative care services (provide information about the implementation process)
3. To establish a quality assurance project, using benchmarking or audit-cycles
4. To define high quality palliative care
Research
1. To incorporate the proposals presented in the Venice Declaration to support the development of research in palliative care
2. To initiate a research forum, or a working group, on research as a platform for future projects and training of researchers
3. To produce a national agenda on palliative care research
4. To establish funding, or an award, to promote research activities in the country
5. To increase the publishing of papers in peer reviewed journals on issues of palliative care
It was agreed that the WPCA, the EAPC and the IAHPC would work together to help the associations develop and achieve their commitments. The IAHPC looks forward to helping in this process.
The EAPC Congress was a great success as evidenced by the
number of people who participated and also the quality of the presentations and posters. The Congress was inaugurated by the President of the Hungarian Republic and a special prize was given to Mr. George Soros, Director of Open Society Institute (OSI), in recognition of his influence
on the development of palliative care in Hungary and Eastern Europe. Dr. Foley, who is also Director of the International Palliative Care Initiative of OSI, received the award on behalf of Mr. Soros. Congratulations are due Mr. Soros for receiving this recognition award and to the
EAPC and the Congress organizers for putting together a magnificent event. We were delighted to hear in Budapest of the many things going on in palliative care’s global movement. Budapest provided a great opportunity
to meet old friends and make new ones and to witness how a large network is developing around the world.
As we announced in our previous edition, the IAHPC supported several participants from developing countries to attend the EAPC Congress in Budapest, including Dr. Faith Mwangi-Powell,
director of the African Palliative Care Association (APCA), who gave the opening plenary address. This edition includes reports by individuals who also received grants from the IAHPC to attend the Congress as well as from scholars who received our grants to other seminars. Also, included
are some pictures taken at the IAHPC booth. We extend our thanks to all those who stopped by our booth to say hello, and to those who inquired about our programs and ways in which we can collaborate together to help improve palliative care in the world.
The journal Anesthesia
and Analgesia has dedicated their current issue to topics on pain and palliative care, especially on the access to pain relief as a fundamental human right. The papers can be accessed for free from the journal’s
website at http://www.anesthesia-analgesia.org/
We are happy to announce that the IAHPC has granted a Traveling Scholarship to Dr. Mateja Lopuh, head of the palliative care department at Jesenice General Hospital, in Lesce, Slovenia to attend a training seminar on palliative care at Christophorus Akademie in Munich. We are delighted to be able to support her travel and look forward to her report.
Photo: (from L to R)
Ms. Carolina Monti from the ALCP; Jose Armando Espinosa from the PC program in ICO, Spain; Liliana De Lima, Ana Restrepo from IAHPC; and Dr. Patricia Bonilla, from the NCI in Caracas Venezuela.
Photo: Ms Ana Restrepo from IAHPC with Ana Towers, from the University of McGill (Canada) at the IAHPC booth.
Until next month,
Kathy Foley, MD
Chair, Board of Directors
Liliana De Lima, MHA
Executive Director
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