Worldwide Hospice and Palliative Care Online

Worldwide Hospice and Palliative Care Online is published bi-monthly by Hospice Information in collaboration with the UK forum for hospice and palliative care worldwide. Hospice Information and the UK forum for hospice and palliative care worldwide are part of the national charity, Help the Hospices. Hospice Information – the UK and international resource on hospice and palliative care - is a joint venture between St Christopher’s Hospice and Help the Hospices.

Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise - World AIDS Day 1 December 2006
The objectives for this year’s World AIDS day include public awareness and involvement in addressing the worldwide problem and ensuring political leaders are accountable for their promises on AIDS.
 http://www.worldaidscampaign.info/ and http://www.worldaidsday.org 
See the latest resources available on HIV/AIDS in this issue of WHPCO.

1.1 Mapping levels of palliative care development: a global view

During the past year, a team led by Michael Wright at the International Observatory on End of Life Care: http://www.eolc-observatory.net/  has been categorising hospice-palliative care development, country by country, throughout the world. Commissioned by Help the Hospices and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, the study involved the synthesis of evidence from published and grey literature, regional experts and an EAPC task force. Development was categorised using the IOELC’s 4-part typology: 1) no identified hospice-palliative care activity; 2) capacity building activity but no service; 3) localised palliative care provision and 4) countries where palliative care activities are approaching integration with the wider health system. One or more palliative care services were found in 115/ 234 countries.
Total countries in each category were:
• Group 1: no identified activity 78 (33%)
• Group 2: capacity building 41 (18%)
• Group 3: localised provision 80 (34%)
• Group 4: approaching integration 35 (15%).

The ratio of services to population among Group 4 countries ranged from 1: 40,000 (in the UK) to 1: 4.28 million (in Kenya); among Group 3 countries, it ranged from 1: 14,000 (in Gibraltar) to 1: 157 million (in Pakistan). Although half of the countries in the world have a palliative care service, far more are needed before such services are generally accessible worldwide.

1.2 International Journal of Palliative Nursing Awards 2007

The International Journal of Palliative Nursing is proud to announce the opening of entries for the International Journal of Palliative Nursing Awards 2007 sponsored by Macmillan Cancer Support. These awards will highlight and reward excellence in evidence-based palliative care. Entries are invited from individuals or members of a team for the following categories: Palliative Care Nurse of the Year; Educationalist of the Year; Development Award; Non-cancer Symptom Management Award; Multidisciplinary Teamwork Award and Lifetime Achievement Award. The finalists of each category will be invited to attend a prestigious awards ceremony at the Savoy Hotel in London, UK, on 23 March 2007. Winners will receive their awards in a formal setting following a gala dinner. Please visit the website of the International Journal of Palliative Nursing at http://www.ijpn.co.uk/awards.shtml and download an application form or apply online.

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2.1 Medical Director – Hospice Southland, New Zealand

 A unique opportunity in one of the most beautiful regions of New Zealand. For further information and details of how to apply, please contact Sheena Naughton, Senior Consultant, Progressive Consulting Ltd, on +00 64 3 441 3853 or +00 64 27 246 6436 or email to SNaughton@WeAreHR.co.nz  Closing date: 26 January, 2007. To see the full advertisement please visit
http://www.hospiceinformation.info/jobopportunities.asp?ID=1616

2.2 Doctor and medical student seek overseas voluntary work April 2007

A palliative care doctor, with 18 years’ experience working in a UK hospice, and her 4th year medical student daughter are seeking a volunteer placement with a hospice/palliative care team overseas for April 2007. For further information please contact: weighill67@ntlworld.com

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3.1 Special online collection: HIV/AIDS – Latin America and the Caribbean

[Source: Science 28 July 2006: Vol. 313. no. 5786, p. 467 DOI: 10.1126/science.313.5786.467.]

In a free special section of Science, Jon Cohen looks at the shape of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean, the overlapping forces that have driven the spread of HIV in the region and the different ways the countries are fighting back. In addition to the articles in the journal, Science and Biocompare have prepared a special video presentation with interviews, maps, and film clips related to the HIV/AIDS situation in these regions. There is also a collection of photos featuring the work of photographer

Linton, with commentary by Jon Cohen, that shows the human face of the disease. Science is making this important reporting and accompanying multimedia features free to all visitors to this website - http://www.sciencemag.org/sciext/aidsamericas/#section_in-science#section_in-science

3.2 Hospice usage reaches record number in the USA
The website of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization http://www.nhpco.org releases research findings for 2005 showing important trends in growth, delivery and quality of palliative care across the country. Some key findings for 2005 include:
• Currently over 4,100 hospice programmes
• Over 1.2 million patients received hospice care in 2005
• One third of all deaths in the USA were under the care of a hospice programme
• There is increased racial diversity with 17.8 per cent minority patients
• One third of all patients were 85 years or older
• 400,000 volunteers were involved in hospice care
• Cancer accounted for 46 per cent of all hospice admissions with top non-cancer diagnoses of heart disease, dementia, debility and lung disease.
Read the full report at http://www.nhpco.org  Hospice Facts

3.3 New consumers’ bridge to hospice care in the US

HospiceDirectory.org, a new project from the Hospice Foundation of America website:http://www.hospicefoundation.org is a searchable online consumer database that lists hospices in North America and the US territories. It is a free service that assists people to locate a hospice within their community easily and quickly. HospiceDirectory.org also provides reliable and easy-to-follow information about hospice and end-of-life care to consumers.

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4.1 Bangladesh – all systems go

Within less than a year of the national seminar in Dhaka, Bangladesh has an active palliative care programme run by a charity in Dhaka, oral morphine sulphate tablets are available and a manual for community volunteers is available in Bengali. A further advancement is the good news that The Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), the only medical university in Bangladesh, will now start an out-patient palliative care service consultation service, to be followed by a home care service. A training programme for doctors, nurses and community volunteers is also planned for the future.

Bangladesh received good media coverage for World Hospice and Palliative Care Day including a piece in the widely circulated English daily newspaper, The Daily Star. You can read more at
http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/10/07/d6100701044.htm  or contact Dr Nezamuddin, Email: afz@dhaka.net
Look out in a future issue of Hospice Information Bulletin for more news from Dr Nezamuddin on the remarkable achievements in Bangladesh.

4.2 Opening of Serbia's first palliative care education centre

Predrag Simic, Administrator, BELhospice, Belgrade, Serbia, writes:
The new Prue Dufour Education Centre is set to make a huge difference to terminally ill patients and their families in Serbia. The Prue Dufour Education Centre opened on 13 October, 2006 as the base for the Centre for Palliative Care and Palliative Medicine, “BELhospice”, in Belgrade. Guests from the UK and USA, together with numerous friends of BELhospice from Serbia, the press and business people, as well as a representative of Belgrade City Hall, attended the opening ceremony. His Excellency, David Gowan, the British Ambassador in Serbia, and Mrs Victoria Nevard, the sister of Prue Dufour, officially opened the Education Centre. Dr Natasa Milicevic, the executive director of BELhospice, said she was delighted that the centre will provide education for medical professionals who will be able to use this knowledge in their work with patients and their families. Dr Natasa expressed her gratitude to all donors and friends of BELhospice, especially to Hospice of Hope in the UK for their support and help. Palliative care is in the early stages in Serbia. BELhospice, as the first palliative care education centre, will co-operate with medical institutions and will also foster greater awareness of palliative care by developing wider community contacts including the media, business, art, culture, sport and the Serbian Government.
For more information please contact Dr Natasa Milicevic at natasa.milicevic@belhospice.org

4.3 Eastern Europe and Central Asia – updated country reports from International Observatory on End of Life Care http://www.eolc-observatory.net/global/ceecis2006.htm

Anthony Greenwood, Information Support Officer, International Observatory on End of Life Care, Institute for Health Research, Lancaster University, writes:
As part of our further work on palliative care updates in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, we announce that the following Country Reports have now been updated on-line:

Azerbaijan: http://www.eolc-observatory.net/global_analysis/azerbaijan.htm

Kazakhstan: http://www.eolc-observatory.net/global_analysis/kazakhstan.htm

Kyrgyzstan: http://www.eolc-observatory.net/global_analysis/kyrgyzstan.htm
Tajikistan: http://www.eolc-observatory.net/global_analysis/tajikistan.htm

Turkmenistan: http://www.eolc-observatory.net/global_analysis/turkmenistan.htm

Uzbekistan: http://www.eolc-observatory.net/global_analysis/uzbekistan.htm

With the generous support of the Open Society Institute’s International Palliative Care Initiative and working closely with our colleagues in the European Association for Palliative Care Task Force on the Development of Palliative Care in Europe, it is hoped that further revised reports will become available soon.

4.4 The first Estonian Hospice Conference

Professor Malcolm Payne, Director of Psychosocial and Spiritual Care, St Christopher's Hospice, UK, was amongst several international speakers at the conference; he writes:

World Hospice Day in 2006 saw ‘open doors’ at the first Estonian Hospice, a 12-bed unit at the Diaconal Hospital in Tallinn. Poetry, music and reflections were offered in the new Hospice garden, and small groups of professionals were able to visit the hospice unit, a well refurbished ward in this large hospital. On 9 October, ‘Hospice – we speak of life…’, the first Estonian hospice conference, took place attended by more than a hundred professionals from all over Estonia as well as some visiting speakers from Norway, Finland and the UK. Dr Pille Sillaste for the Northern Estonian Regional Hospital Oncology Centre presented statistics and demographic information about dying in Estonia. A multi-professional team from Estonia presented and discussed the development of palliative care work in Tallinn, and a panel of politicians, administrators and professionals debated trends in Estonian healthcare and the role of palliative care within it.

4.5 Palliative Care Australia appoints new president and CEO

On 6 September Professor Margaret O'Connor formally accepted the role as National President of Palliative Care Australia. In her role, she looks forward to working with a range of stakeholders in realising our shared vision of 'timely access to palliative care for all'. As Inaugural Vivian Bullwinkel Chair in Nursing, Palliative Care, at Monash University Professor O'Connor is responsible for the Palliative Care Research Team in the School of Nursing and Midwifery and manages several clinical research projects. These projects focus on: service systems issues and the blocks that prevent access or smooth transitions for people in need of palliative care; issues of culture and palliative care; and care of veterans at the end of life. Donna Daniell has been appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer. Donna, a trained pharmacist, has a broad background spanning over 25 years in the public and private health industry sectors. She has held a diverse range of positions including that of senior policy adviser to two Federal Health Ministers.
For more information about Palliative Care Australia, and the many useful resources available, please visit http://www.pallcare.org.au

4.6 Sierra Leone - launch of National Palliative Care Association

The Sierra Leone Palliative Care Association (SLPCA) was launched as part of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day celebrations. Gabriel Madiye, founding member of SLCPA and executive director of the Shepherd's Hospice,  says that the next steps will include working to improve access to opioid analgesics, developing standards, advocating for policy review and promoting training for practitioners. He added that the new association  had received mentoring from The African Palliative Care Association (APCA)and start-up  funding from Help the Hospices, UK. 
For more information please contact: shepherdshospice@yahoo.co.uk

4.7 The Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance – annual review now available

The first annual review of the work of the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance (WWPCA) is now available to download at http://www.wwpca.net/documents/wwpca_annual_review.pdf  Browse the site and learn more about this network of national and palliative care associations around the world. The aim of WWPCA is to support skill sharing and to promote universal access to affordable, quality palliative care through the support of regional and national hospice and palliative care organisations. The site also offers message boards http://www.wwpca.net/discussion/index.asp, providing a forum for discussion on quality of care, advocacy and funding amongst other subjects. Please visit the site at http://www.wwpca.net

4.8 European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) - latest news

The Task Force on the Development of Palliative Care in Europe. A new section has been edited with 42 countries reports downloadable as pdf files at: http://www.eapcnet.org/Policy/CountriesReport.htm

The Abstracts Database now contains all abstracts accepted for poster or oral presentations of the last four EAPC annual events website: http://www.eapcnet.org/congresses/AbstractsDatabase.html

4.9 National Associations' Questionnaire

Can all National Associations in Europe please complete a short questionnaire about your work which will help support development of associations in the future?
This survey is available online with printable forms at http://www.wwpca.net 
http://www.wwpca.net/survey/survey.asp in English
http://www.wwpca.net/survey/survey_french.asp in French
http://www.wwpca.net/survey/survey_italian.asp in Italian
http://www.wwpca.net/survey/survey_spanish.asp in Spanish
The survey will be used to provide information for planning of support to national associations and be available to all interested parties and groups.
If you have any questions regarding the questionnaire or want to discuss its background, please contact Nick Pahl at n.pahl@helpthehospices.org.uk

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5.1 Advocacy strategy toolkit – English and French versions

The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association has kindly agreed to make its 2006-2007 Advocacy Strategy Toolkit available to all our readers. The toolkit includes a range of useful documentation that could be adapted for use by other countries. Contents include: What a strategy can do; Preparing for meetings with government ministers; Key public awareness messages; Developing a framework for a national strategy, etc.
English version: http://www.chpca.net/public_policy_advocacy.htm
French version : http://www.acsp.net/politique_publique.htm

Note: An international advocacy tool is also available to download from the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance website at: http://www.wwpca.net/publications/advocacy_toolkit_05april.doc

5.2 International Pain Policy Fellowships

The Pain & Policy Studies Group (PPSG) http://www.painpolicy.wisc.edu
selected eight Fellows for its new International Pain Policy Fellowship program. This two-year project, funded by the Open Society Institute’s (OSI) International Palliative Care Initiative, assists low and middle income countries to improve patient access to pain medicines recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for pain of cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. United Nations agencies, including the WHO and the International Narcotics Control Board, have expressed concern about the low consumption of controlled pain medicines in the world, especially in developing countries.

Following their training with the PPSG and other international experts in Madison, Wisconsin, USA in October, the Fellows will develop action plans to improve opioid availability during the next two years with technical support from the PPSG and grant support from the OSI.The eight selected Fellows are:
Dr Simbo Daisy Amanor-Boadu, MBBS, FMCA Nigeria; Prof Snežana Bošnjak, MD, PhD Serbia; Prof Rosa Buitrago, BS, MCPh, Panama; Mrs Nguyen Thi Phoung Cham, Pharm Vietnam; Dr Henry Ddungu, MB ChB, M.Med Uganda; Dr Jorge Eisenchlas, MD, MSc Argentina; Dr Marta Ximena León, MD Colombia; and Mr Gabriel Madiye, DPH Sierra Leone.

5.3 Declaration of Venice – supporting research in developing countries

The Declaration of Venice is producing some concrete results. Several articles from the journal, Medicina Paliativa, have been donated free of charge by The Sociedad Española de Cuidados Paliativos http://www.secpal.com and Aran Editores and can now be downloaded from the Latin American Association for Palliative Care (ALCP) website at: http://www.cuidadospaliativos.org/menu4.php?id=21

Liliana de Lima, Executive Director of the International Association for Hospice Palliative Care Association (IAHPC), said: “The commitment to make available resources for developing countries and regions of the world is an important piece of the Declaration. It is also crucial that palliative care workers in poor resource settings demonstrate they will use these resources effectively in ways to improve research practices and publication of their work.”
Liliana urges any readers who have not yet signed the Declaration, to read and sign this important document calling for the support of palliative care research, especially in developing countries. The English, French and Spanish versions of the Declaration can be seen and signed on the IAHPC website at http://www.hospicecare.com/dv/index.html

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6.1 Donated medical equipment

Thanks to Nora Maloney and the team at Galway Hospice Foundation, Hospice Information has a small stock of brand new medical equipment, including dressings, stoma bags, catheters, etc which are available to anyone who would find them useful. A supply of Vacutainers is already being transported to the Shepherd’s Hospice in Sierra Leone when Sheila Hurton makes her next visit in January.

If anyone is planning an overseas placement and would like to take some of the donated equipment please contact the international team at Hospice Information - avril@hospiceinformation.info or vicki@hospiceinformation.info  We can email you a list of what’s available and work out how to arrange collection.

6.2   New RCP Bursaries for young overseas physicians

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is offering eight International Bursaries for physicians practising in low-income and lower-middle-income countries for attendance at an RCP conference in the UK and, subject to availability, a 2-4 week study visit to a relevant specialist unit. The  bursaries aim to enable motivated young physicians to have access to a quality post-graduate educational experience and encourage them to share good practice and knowledge on their return. The scheme aims to attract recently appointed consultants or senior trainees in a medical specialty, particularly those who have identified a specific training need not available in their own country. In 2007 up to eight Bursaries are available – two of which are exclusively targeted at African physicians. Applicants must be proficient in  written and oral English. Deadline for applications: 10 December for Conferences between February and June 2007. For further information visit these two links to the RCP website: http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/International/bursaries.htm http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/event/

6.3 Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health & Human Rights - Call for Nominations
The Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health & Human Rights was established in 1999 to honour Dr Jonathan Mann and highlight the vital link between health and human rights. The award is bestowed annually to a leading practitioner in health and human rights and comes with a substantial financial reward.

The Global Health Council welcomes nominations of people whose work epitomizes Jonathan Mann's life. For more information please visit http://www.globalhealth.org/conference/ and select The Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health & Human Rights. Nominations deadline: January 15, 2007.             

7.1 A Guide to Supportive and Palliative Care for HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa

The guide was adapted from the 2003 edition of A Clinical Guide to Supportive and Palliative Care for HIV/AIDS through an international collaboration. Development of the African version was funded by the U.S. Government through the HIV/AIDS Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO.) The Guide covers medical treatment, symptom management, psychosocial/spiritual care, traditional care and the social issues such as poverty alleviation, food security, and planning care for orphans and vulnerable children. Paediatric HIV/AIDS is also included, as well as public health aspects of palliative care, care models appropriate to Africa, training and policy development, and availability of essential medicines including opioid analgesics. The Guide is written by and for health care workers in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Guide is available on the website of the Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa (FHSSA) at http://www.fhssa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1 and will also be available on the website of the African Palliative Care Association (APCA): http://www.apca.co.ug in February 2007.

7.2 The African Aids Epidemic: A History by John Iliffe

An excellent tool for those wishing to study the history of the AIDS epidemic, this book explores the origins and nature of the virus and the unique epidemic it has caused, along with its progress across the African continent. Clinical issues and political and moral controversies are also considered. For more information please contact: United Kingdom: Oxford : James Currey. ISBN: 0852558910 (cloth) 0852558902 (paper) Email: editorial@jamescurrey.co.uk  Web: http://www.jamescurrey.co.uk  South Africa: Cape Town. ISBN: 1770130489 (paper) Email: doublestorey@juta.co.za  Web: http://www.doublestorey.com Athens, Ohio, USA: Ohio University Press, 2006. ISBN 0-8214-1688-X (cloth); 0-8214-1689-8 (paper) Email: Web: http://www.ohioswallow.com/

7.3 HelpAge International - Who cares?

HelpAge International http://www.helpage.org is a global network of not-for-profit organisations with a mission to work with and for disadvantaged older people worldwide to achieve a lasting improvement in the quality of their lives. Alongside the many useful reports and resources available (mainly free of charge) on their website, HelpAge International has now launched a discussion forum called Who Cares? It’s an open discussion forum about care-giving, particularly in the context of HIV and AIDS, and the burden this places on women, girls and older people: whether caring in relation to children affected by AIDS, or people living with HIV.

The site includes a Message board, Resources area and an Events section.
For more information please contact the moderator, Becky Stubbs, at mod.whocares@hotmail.co.uk  or you can access the discussion forum at http://www.dgroups.org/groups/WhoCares

8.1  id21 insights #64: Dealing with HIV and AIDS

The latest issue of id21 insights asks: "What can we learn from this diversity of response? Can we find better ways to help scale up the coverage, quality and impact of civil society action? "
Guest editor, Jerker Edstrom from the Institute of Development Studies, says that it is important for health systems to involve clients, communities and affected groups in planning and negotiating HIV testing, treatment, care and social protection arrangements. He offers other recommendations too based on some of the key contributions in the issue. Read the whole issue at
http://www.id21.org/insights/insights64/index.html or as a PDF file http://www.id21.org/insights/insights64/Insights64.pdf and in print.

To receive print copies and a free subscription to future issues of 'id21 insights', please email your full postal address to id21@ids.ac.uk  quoting "id21 insights#64" stating how many copies you would like to receive (all id21 publications are free of charge.) Back issues are also available - see http://www.id21.org/insights/index.html

8.2 Hospice design manual for in-patient facilities, Timothy Moorhouse, Hospice Education Institute, USA, 2006. ISBN 0-9623438-3-8.

This book, based on site visits to the UK and USA, is designed for hospice planning groups, to assist in the initial planning phase and to help in the understanding of the requirements for a hospice building. It will also be of interest to architects for whom it will provide a research-based study of design problems and requirements. Price: US Dollars 45.00 plus US Dollars 5.00 shipping/handling by surface post worldwide. Order online at: orders@hospiceworld.org  or contact by email: info@hospiceworld.org Tel: + 1 207 255 8800. Website: http://www.hospiceworld.org 

9.1 UK forum events

Launch of Hospice Africa Uganda’s five year strategy

Hospice House was the venue for the UK launch of Hospice Africa Uganda’s (HAU) five year strategic plan on 29 November. The launch was well attended by an appreciative audience of UK donors, representatives from hospices, academic centres, international NGOs and UK forum members. Excellent and moving presentations from Lesley Phipps, Director; Dr Anne Merriman, Founder; Nina Shalita, Chief Executive, and Richard Byarugaba, Board Member, reflected on the remarkable achievements over the last 13 years and explored how the vision for the next five years will encompass clinical excellence, palliative care education, advocacy, knowledge building and strengthening the organisation. The afternoon, chaired by Dr David Phipps, also highlighted HAU’s continuing role in enabling and supporting the development of palliative care in sub-Saharan Africa and the importance it placed on partnership with other organisations. For more information please visit http://www.hospiceafrica.or.ug

Note: HAU’s ‘Little blue book’, Palliative medicine: pain and symptom control in the cancer and/or AIDS patient in Uganda and other African countries, 4th edition 2006, is now available in pocket size edition. To order, please contact info@hospiceafrica.or.ug  Price: US$10 + p & p. (UK orders please contact hospaf@connectfree.co.uk  - £6 + p & p.)

9.2 Upcoming workshops

Avoiding the wastepaper basket: why do applications fail? Hospice House, London – 17 January 2007

This workshop is for those who are involved in developing proposals for hospice and palliative care overseas. Led by a leading fundraising consultant, Bill Bruty, who has considerable UK and international experience, it will explore why some proposals fail, what are current issues in international fundraising and how we can move forward.
Places are limited so please book early. Contact the Education and Training Department, education@helpthehospices.org.uk or call +44 (0)20 7520 2911

Training the International Trainers – 13 March 2007, Hospice House, London, UK

This workshop is for anyone involved in training internationally to improve hospice and palliative care. Two experienced practitioners, Dr Bee Wee (Senior Clinical Lecturer, Sir Michael Sobell House) and Katy Newell-Jones, an educator and trainer of trainers, will facilitate the day and explore with participants the key issues in the context of overseas teaching in palliative care.
Please contact: education@helpthehospices.org.uk

9.3  Help the Hospices’ international grants programme

Further details of the International Grants Programme will be given in the January 2007 issue of Worldwide Hospice and Palliative Care Online.

9.4  About the UK forum for hospice and palliative care worldwide

The UK forum aims to collaborate and share experience with UK and overseas agencies involved with delivering hospice and palliative care worldwide. Membership is free and available to all individuals and organisations in the UK with links overseas in hospice and palliative care. Associate membership is available to all individuals and organisations involved in palliative care based abroad. There are presently over 160 UK and worldwide members. For further information on joining and the activities of the Forum, please contact Claire Morris at: c.morris@helpthehospices.org.uk or call +44 (0)20 7520 8250.

Hospice Information

9.5 Win a free book in our prize draw!

Hospice Information and Oxford University Press have teamed up to offer you the chance to win a free copy of the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Care for Children by A Goldman, R Hain and S. Liben, which is reviewed by Professor Shripad Banavali of the Tata Memorial Hospital, India in the upcoming edition of the Bulletin. To enter, please send your name and postal address to the following address: vicki@hospiceinformation.info or fax to + 44 (0)8776 9345. Please write: Oxford Textbook in subject heading. The first entry to be drawn will receive the book. Entry deadline: 31 January 2007.

9.6  Hospice Information Bulletin - a preview of next issue

The late autumn edition of our quarterly magazine, to be circulated shortly, will include:

• Marg Smeaton describing how Ottawa Mission Hospice reaches the homeless
• Sabine Kraft on the children's hospice movement in Germany
• Keith Newman on the role of speech and language therapy in a London hospice
• Dr João Paulo Solano on starting a new hospice in Brazil
• Lucy Selman introduces the ENCOMPASS (Ensuring Core Outcomes and Measuring Palliation in Sub-Saharan Africa) project
• Dr Dorothy Logie explains why it's vital that palliative care's role in HAART must be developed at the 2008 international AIDS conference in Mexico
• Julian O'Kelly leads a music therapy workshop in Malaysia

If you're not receiving the Hospice Information Bulletin, either through membership of Hospice Information or through an individual subscription, and would like to see a sample copy of this upcoming issue please send your full postal address to avril@hospiceinformation.info

Articles for publication are welcomed too and can earn you a year's free membership of Hospice Information! Please contact Avril Jackson as above.

9.7   About Hospice Information

Hospice Information, a joint venture between St Christopher’s Hospice and Help the Hospices, is a UK and international resource on hospice and palliative care. We work closely with the UK forum for which we provide the ‘information’ remit. Hospice Information offers a comprehensive enquiry service including: free electronic news bulletins, fact sheets, Hospice Information Bulletin magazine, website, national and international directories, ‘Starter Packs’ for new overseas groups or those wishing to volunteer, 'Twinning' Packs and professional contacts.

9.8 Membership

Hospice Information has welcomed 34 members in the past two months! 8 of these are new to Hospice Information and 26 are membership renewals.
Our new individual members are from Greece, the Ukraine, Brazil, Canada and Romania. Our new organisation members are the two newly created National Palliative Care Associations in Norway and Kenya and a provider of palliative care in Uganda. We have also renewed memberships for people in Malawi, Spain, Israel and India.
Membership is available to individuals and organisations and is free to anyone in or working with a resource poor country. Membership is also free to full time students and anyone who is currently unwaged. If you are interested in becoming a member or if you would like to check your membership status please contact Vicki Stewart: vicki@hospiceinformation.info

We welcome enquiries – however big or small! We’re also delighted to welcome visitors by appointment at our offices at St Christopher’s Hospice or at Help the Hospices. Please visit our website at: http://www.hospiceinformation.info/ or contact us at: info@hospiceinformation.info

10.1 The Songrooms…

http://www.thesongrooms.org launches at The Unicorn Theatre, London, 11 December 2006

A new interactive music composition site launches with a concert featuring live performances from children from Island Hospice Zimbabwe, Richard House Hospice, London and a primary school in Westminster.  The concert will be supported by a band of hip hop musicians, including DJ MK, vocals from Ricky Rankin and production and keyboards from Theo Gordon.

The website is designed for  children using paediatric palliative care services around the world and will enable them to connect with others outside the hospital/ hospice wards. The project will culminate in a concert linking all hospices on World Hospice Day, 6 October 2007 http://www.worldday.org.uk  The website will be fed by monthly workshops led by music therapists, music teachers, play co-ordinators at participating hospices and hospitals. Professional musicians will be contracted to run workshops to share digital sound skills with the children enabling them to create innovative and ambitious tracks.

Tickets for the concert can be booked online at http://www.unicorntheatre.com or through the box office, tel: 020 7645 0560. For more information please contact Rosetta Life on +44 (0)20 7520 8270

11.1 Looking back... World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2006

Events have now been registered on the website in over 60 countries around the world. Events for 7 October, 2006 ranged from the launching of a national associations (Namibia) to events in seven major cities in Colombia to 200 people running for hospice care in the Philippines. To view these, and the many other events, please visit: http://www.worldday.org/events/events_summary.asp

11.2 Life Lines

The poetry initiative for World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2006 was a great success with poems submitted by people affected with life-threatening illnesses from around the world. An international anthology Life Lines has been produced and can be purchased from Help the Hospices at a cost of £5.  If you would like to purchase a copy of the anthology which contains 30 poems, please contact Daniel Ward at daniel@hospiceinformation.info or call +44(0)20 7520 8221.

11.3 Access for All Report

Help the Hospices have produced a report Hospice and Palliative Care – Access for All, for World Hospice and Palliative Care Day. The report looks at how hospice and palliative care services in the UK strive to meet the challenge of ensuring that everyone within communities gets the services they need. To receive a copy of the report by email, please contact c.morris@helpthehospices.org.uk To purchase the report at a cost of £10, please email daniel@hospiceinformation.info  or call +44(0)20 7520 8221.

11.4 Looking ahead...World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2007 with Voices for Hospices
 

6 October, 2007 - Theme: Across the Ages - from children to older people.
Put the date in your diaries and start thinking about your activities now!

World Hospice and Palliative Care Day with Voices for Hospices 2007

Over a million people supported World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2005 by taking part in Voices for Hospices - the globe’s largest, simultaneous, singing event. In addition to lifting the profile of palliative care, about £1,000,000 was raised enabling many local services to continue their work.

On 6 October 2007 we are inviting the world to sing again! Previously, supporters in over 60 countries used oratorios, concerts, poetry, prose and plays to help fund and draw attention to this vital work. But even if you can’t sing, Voices for Hospices offers an opportunity for all your supporters to do their bit - as performers, workers ‘behind the scenes’ or audience. Will you be encouraging them to take part?
Contact Alex Williams: vfhglobal@tiscali.co.uk   or visit our website: http://www.voicesforhospices.org

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International events

12.1 1 10-12 February, 2007 IVXth Annual Conference of Palliative Care, Mumbai, India

The main themes of this year’s annual conference, organised by the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, are: Difficult symptoms, Paediatric palliative care and Supportive care. For information please contact: Dr M A Muckaden, Email: muckaden@vsnl.net  Tel: +91 22 24177148 or visit: http://www.tatamemorialcentre.com 

12.2 15 – 17 March 2007 – 11th Annual International Symposium: palliative medicine 2007, USA

Call for abstracts submission deadline: 12 January 2007. For information and registration please visit: http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/pm2007

12.3 3 – 6 June 2007 - International Death, Grief and Bereavement conference, Wisconsin, USA: Learning from the Past and Present, Planning the Future

Call for papers: 1 February 2007. Contact: Gerry Cox, University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, email: cox.gerr@uwlax.edu  Tel: +(608) 785 6773. Website: http://www.uwlax.edu/   

12.4 17 - 18 September 2007 - 3rd Global Summit for National Associations of Hospice and Palliative Care

Linked to the African Palliative Care Association conference this summit will provide an opportunity for national associations to share achievements and learn from each other e.g. in an expert fundraising training session. It will offer an opportunity to develop joint working; discussing how the network of national associations can formalise into an alliance that can ultimately make a real impact for patients and their families. For further information please go to the World Wide Palliative Care Alliance website: http://www.wwpca.net/ or email: international@helpthehospices.org.uk

12.5 17 - 19 September 2007 - 9th World Congress of Psycho-Oncology and Psychosocial Academy, UK

The Psychosocial Academy will offer workshops on 6 & 20 September 2007. The Congress will include symposia, presentations and posters addressing a variety of disciplines within psychosocial oncology. Please visit website at: http://www.ipos-society.org/ipos2007/index.asp for more information. Abstract deadline 28 February 2007.

12.6 27 - 29 September 2007 - The 7th Asia Pacific Hospice Conference, Philippines: Nurturing partnerships in hospice care

Topics include: audit; bereavement care; communication; complementary therapy; counselling; education; ethical issues; pain; pastoral care; quality of life; symptom management; volunteer activity. Please go to website for details: http://www.aphc2007.com or email: secretariat@aphc2007.com

Regional events

12.7 16-18 January, 2007 ASCO/AORTIC Multidisciplinary Cancer Management Course, Abuja, Nigeria.

See website for details: http://www.aahpm.org

12.8 14 - 17 February 2007 - Annual Assembly of American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, Salt Lake City, USA

Topics include: opioids in pain management; evidence-based formulation of prognosis; medication reconciliation, review and reconfiguration; care of patients with chronic mental illness at the end of life; cancer pain: from the laboratory to the clinic; use of large national datasets in palliative care research. See website for details: http://www.aahpm.org

12.9 15 – 16 March 2007 – Improving the Delivery of Palliative Care for Older People, Sydney, Australia

Aims include: sharing information on client/patient focused systems, strategies; policies that have improved access to and the delivery of palliative care for older people in various settings; showcase models of service delivery and care. Contact: Change Champions, Sydney, Australia. Tel: +61 (2) 4963 5150. Email: change.champions@bigpond.com  Website: http://www.anzspm.org.au  

12.10 18 – 30 March 2007 – Hospice and Palliative Care Study Seminar in Britain

Topics include: principles of symptom control; bereavement: current issues; art therapy in palliative care and loss; pathways to better palliative care; motor neurone disease; ethical issues in hospice and palliative care. Contact: Hospice Education Institute, Maine, USA. Tel: +207 255 5500. Fax: +800 544 2213. Email: hospiceall@aol.com  Website: http://www.hospiceworld.org 

12.11 International Education Days at St Christopher's

As part of St Christopher's 40th Anniversary a number of International Education Days are being held throughout 2007. Both days will include a tour of St Christopher's and presentations on latest service developments.

30 March, 2007 German Day: Challenges in Palliative Care

Professor Lukas Radbruch, University of Aachen; Board of Directors, EAPC, will chair this day which will be taught mainly in English.

27 April, 2007 Italian Day: Quality in Palliative Care

Dr Augusto Caraceni, Chief of Neurology Unit, Division of Rehabilitation, Pain Therapy and Palliative Care, Milan; Board of Directors, EAPC, will chair this day. The day will be taught in Italian.
For more information please contact education@stchristophers.org.uk

12.12 28 - 31 August 2007 - 9th Australian Palliative Care Conference - partners across the lifespan, Melbourne

The conference programme will include a combination of plenary sessions, panels, papers and trade exhibits. Abstracts may be submitted by logging on to: http://www.iceaustralia.com/  Deadline for submission of abstracts: 5 December 2006.

12.15 CancerNursing.org launches new courses

Two new free online courses: Hypercalcaemia in Malignant Disease and Cancer of the Prostate are now available at http://www.CancerNursing.org  enabling learners to study at a pace and time of their choice. On completion learners have access to a certificate that can be used for personal development purposes. Prior to launch, the courses were reviewed by experts from across the globe. The CancerNursing.org website now provides, free-of-charge, eight courses covering cancer and palliative topics and has over 20,000 learners enrolled from more than 100 countries. New courses will be launched in 2007, including Wound Management in Cancer and Palliative Care, Open and Sensitive Communication, and Pain Management (these three courses are supported by an educational grant from Help the Hospices.)

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14.1 Biomed Central - http://www.biomedcentral.com/ is an open access journal which has a variety of articles on palliative care as well as AIDS related issues. A recent addition is, Validity of measures of pain and symptoms in HIV/AIDS infected households in resources poor settings: results from the Dominican Republic and Cambodia. Pappas G, Wolf RC, Morineau G, Harding R. BMC Palliative Care 2006, 5:3 (20 March 2006.)

You will need to request a password before you view your first article. This will be emailed to you as soon as you indicate you wish to log in. Having obtained this, full text articles are free of charge.

Thanks to Denise Brady, Librarian, St Christopher's Hospice, d.brady@stchristophers.org.uk for this month's tip.

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15.1  I want to use a quote from Dame Cicely Saunders - can you help me reference it?

If this resonates with you look no more! The library at St Christopher's has a solution. Most palliative care practitioners will have heard of Dame Cicely Saunders’ quote “You matter because you are you” but you may not know where it appears in her writings. This, together with 20 other significant quotes from her works, have been gathered together by the library at St Christopher’s Hospice. If you would like a copy, please email the librarian: Denise Brady, email: d.brady@stchristophers.org.uk

16.1 Brigid Sirengo receives honorary degree

Brigid Sirengo, Chief Executive Officer of Nairobi Hospice was amongst several distinguished individuals who received honorary degrees from Oxford Brookes University in September. Recipients of honorary awards are nominated by the University's staff and students in recognition of their expertise in and contribution to their field. Congratulations to Brigid who received her honorary degree for services to palliative care.

16.2 Tribute to U Hla Tun

It is with great sadness that we report that U Hla Tun, Founder and Chairman of the of the U Hla Tun Hospice (Cancer) Foundation: http://www.uhlatunhospicemyanmar.org  in Yangon and Mandalay, died peacefully at the Shwegondine Specialist Centre in Yangon on 26 November 2006 after a long illness. A personal tragedy motivated U Hla Tun to set up the U Hla Tun Hospice, a not-for-profit organisation in Yangon, on 14 October 1998, the very first hospice in Myanmar. His philanthropic work led to the development of a further hospice at Mandalay which, together with Yangon, provides a total of 90 hospice beds and enables patients and families to receive free palliative care. We send our deepest sympathy to the family of U Hla Tun and all who are involved in the hospices he founded in Myanmar.

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