Message from the Chair
and Executive Director
Dear readers:
This month IAHPC will host a workshop in Lima, Perú with representatives from the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pain and Policy Studies Group (PPSG), the Ministries of health, and pain and palliative care specialists. The purpose of this workshop is to develop a strategy to improve opioid availability in three countries in Latin America, they are Mexico, Chile and Peru. The coordinators and pain specialists selected to work on this strategy are:
Dr Paola Diaz and Dr Alicia Kassian for Mexico
Dr Marisol Ahumada and Dr Maritza Velasco for Chile
Dr. Maria del Rosario Berenguel and Dr Lida Caro for Peru.
Congratulations to all for this recognition and we look forward to working with them during the next two years. This initiative was made possible, thanks to donations from the Open Society Institute and the De Lima Bohmer Foundation in Colombia. In the future, we will report the action plans of the countries resulting from this initiative.
We are excited to be part of a strategy called the International Palliative Care Leadership Development Initiative (LDI) in Palliative Care that was organized and implemented by the Institute of Palliative Medicine at San Diego Hospice under the leadership of Dr. Frank Ferris, one of our board members. The LDI convened 22 participants from 15 countries; each participant developed a personalized plan that will assist them to advance palliative care in their own country. Congratulations to the Institute of Palliative Medicine and to the grantees chosen for this program.
Three years ago, IAHPC developed a List of Essential Medicines in Palliative Care. We are currently working on a project to identify Essential Practices in Palliative Care. This past month we sent out an announcement inviting all those interested to participate; we have received an enthusiastic response. In a few days we will be sending out instructions to those who are eligible to participate. It is wonderful to see how IAHPC reaches so many individuals from all the corners of the world. We send our thanks for your interest and support.
We are also happy to announce that this month we have awarded financial support to the following individuals:
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A Traveling Fellowship to Dr. Susan Breiddal from Victoria Hospice in Canada, to travel to BPKMCH, BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital in Nepal where she will orient the team to practical applications of psychosocial palliative care, teach how to build communication and counseling skills, increase team understanding of common psychosocial problems and build a Victoria Hospice/BPKMCH partnership.
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A Traveling Scholarship to Anton Peiris, Coordinating Physician in Palliative Care, National Cancer Institute and Visiting Physician to Shantha Sevana Hospice in Maharagama, Sri Lanka to attend the annual Paediatric Palliative Care Symposium in Sydney, Australia.
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A Traveling Scholarship to Duncan Kwaitana, Research Nurse from Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi, to attend the Diploma in Palliative Care at Hospice Africa Uganda.
Congratulations to all our grantees for receiving these awards. We hope they are successful in achieving their objectives during these trips and look forward to reading their reports after they return.
Until next month,
Roberto Wenk, MD
Chair, Board of Directors
Liliana De Lima, MHA
Executive Director
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