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Message from the Chair
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Executive Director
Kathleen M. Foley, MD (USA)
Liliana De Lima, MHA (USA)
Dear readers:
Welcome to this edition of the IAHPC Newsletter. As always, we have some exciting news and announcements to make.
As you know, in June 2006, the IAHPC joined forces with the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) to promote a global research agenda in palliative care. Both organizations collaborated to draft the Declaration of Venice calling governments, health authorities, policy makers, institutions and care providers to support and fund palliative care research, especially in developing countries. The Declaration was signed by representatives of several palliative care organizations and has been signed by more than 3,000 palliative care workers, volunteers and supporters from around the world. At the end of September 2007 we will close the signatures page and start working with EAPC and the other organizations on the next steps to follow up on this Declaration. If you haven’t signed the Declaration of Venice, please do so at this time, and help support research in palliative care around the world.
To read and sign the Declaration click secure link https://www.hospicecare.com/dv/
One of the provisions of the Declaration is to improve access to scientific publications and journals to palliative care workers in developing countries. The subscription costs to the vast majority of these publications are too high for them to afford and therefore access to new knowledge is very limited. In this regard, several publishing services have agreed to provide free access to their online versions of journals and significant discounts to the hard copy journals. One such publisher is Mary Ann Liebert Inc, which generously approved free access to their online version of the Journal of Palliative Medicine to members of the Latin American Association for Palliative Care (ALCP) and a significant discount to the printed version for members of IAHPC. Members interested in subscribing to the Journal of Palliative Medicine, please access www.liebertpub.com and specify that you are a member of IAHPC. If you are a member of the ALCP, please contact Ms Carolina Monti, at [email protected] Many thanks to Mary Ann Liebert for this support and for helping improve access to new knowledge and scientific material which otherwise would be impossible to achieve in resource poor countries.
We have a new addition to our website: A Members page which has a list of current members as a way to recognize and give credit to those who continue supporting IAHPC. Many thanks for your loyalty and support. To view the list of current members, click on
www.hospicecare.com/members
A special announcement: The Pulitzer Prize 2007 FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY was awarded to Renée C. Byer of The Sacramento Bee for her intimate portrayal of a single mother and her young son Derek, who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in 2004. Derek died in 2006 and Ms Byer was able to accompany him and his mother during the course and progression of his disease. To see the works of Ms Byer and the striking photographs of Derek and his mother, go to http://www.pulitzer.org/ and click on 2007. Then select Feature Photography and then the tab called Works. This is a sad story, but it is also a very powerful one that shows how much a family needs support during this process. Congratulations to the journalist for her incredible pictures and also for bringing much needed attention to the needs of patients suffering with advanced progressive cancer.
As many of you know, this month, four important meetings will take place in Africa and Asia:
- The African Palliative Care Association (APCA) conference in Nairobi, Kenya on September 19-21st. This will be a great opportunity for many colleagues from Africa and other countries to meet and discuss possible collaboration programs to help improve access to palliative care in Africa. For further information and registration, see the congress website at http://www.apca2007nairobi.com
- The Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance (WPCA) is holding its Third Global Summit for National Associations of Hospice and Palliative Care on September 17-18 September. More information is available by contacting: Louise Isherwood at [email protected] or on the WPCA website www.wwpca.net
- Children's Hospice International’s (CHI) 18th World Congress will take place on the 7 - 9 September 2007 in Singapore. This congress is in partnership with KK Women's Children's Hospital and the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN). More information is available in the CHI website at: http://www.CHIonline.org
- The 7th Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network Conference (APHN) will take place on the 27th to the 29th of September 2007 in Manila, hosted by the Philippine Cancer Society in association with Hospice Philippines and Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network. Additional information: www.aphc2007.com
We wish all our colleagues and friends successful meetings and hope that they will result in significant changes in health policy and practice to improve hospice and palliative care worldwide.
Until next month,
Liliana De Lima, MHA
Executive Director
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