Tea break reading

22nd – 28th June:

News and views:

Editor’s pick:

Sub-Saharan Africa: Research into palliative care in sub-Saharan Africa – The WHO public health strategy for palliative care aims to increase access to palliative care services through its integration into health-care systems. We present the available evidence for the four WHO strategy pillars of policy, education, drug availability, and implementation, and propose a fifth pillar of research activity to stimulate improvement of care. From The Lancet Oncology.
Africa: UN: HIV infections down in children – The number of children living with HIV is slowing down in areas of the world that typically account for the most new infections, the Joint U.N. Programme on HIV/AIDS said Tuesday. From CNN Health.
South Africa: Ageing Mandela reminds us of importance of palliative care in Africa – Whilst wishing Mandela a full recovery we can, and indeed must, use this opportunity to talk about the importance of palliative care – a taboo across much of the world including most of Africa, writes Steve Hynd from the African Palliative Care Association. From The South African.

Elsewhere in the news:

East Africa: Vision of a floating clinic on Africa’s largest lake: Newsday – Listen: Inspirational doctor Amy Lehman has a vision for a floating health clinic on Lake Tanganyika. When fully-funded, it will visit remote communities in DRC, Zambia, Tanzania and Burundi, going where no other transport can reach. Listen at the BBC World Service.
Kenya: State must fulfill mental health pledges – The government needs to look beyond the usual approaches to generate truly innovative solutions to mental health problems. From Daily Nation.
Rwanda: Integration of palliative care in Rwanda – Dr Christian Ntizimira, a physician and pioneer in palliative care, writes for ehospice about his experience in trying to integrate palliative care in Rwanda. From the Africa edition of ehospice.
Uganda: Palliative care and yoga – Manjit Suchdev, a family doctor based in Kampala, talks to ehospice about the importance of yoga in palliative care. From the Africa edition of ehospice.
Zimbabwe – Palliative care project launched – A local non-governmental organisation (NGO), Batsiranai has begun a palliative care programme for abused children in Buhera district. From The Standard.
Botswana: Palliative care takes root in Botswana – Dr Mbangtang reports. From Mmegi Online.
South Africa: Many in South Africa infected with HIV-AIDS are teenage mothers – About a third of the women on Sylvia Lamola’s maternity ward at any time giving birth carry the HIV virus, the nurse, midwife and HIVAIDS counsellor at Pretoria’s Medforum Medi-Clinic said. From The Leader Post.
South Africa: Traditional healers: Accessing palliative care information through technology – Msunduzi Hospice is proud to host traditional healers once again, focusing on ways to gain access to palliative care information through modern technology. From the South Africa edition of ehospice.
South Africa: Palliative medicine education at the University of Cape Town – Continuing our series on education in palliative care, Dr Liz Gwyther writes for ehospice about setting up the palliative care education team at the University of Cape Town. From the International edition of ehospice.
South Africa: Drug-resistant TB patients have access to new drug – All patients diagnosed with drug-resistant tuberculosis will now have access to a promising new drug bedaquiline, which is still undergoing trials, via a clinical access programme driven by the national health department. From health-e.
Nigeria: Resident doctors begin warning strike on Wednesday – The National Association of Resident Doctors has ordered its members nationwide to embark on a three-day warning strike from Wednesday. From The Punch Newspaper.

Research:

Africa: Health outcomes of HIV-exposed uninfected African infants – Introduction of prophylactic cotrimoxazole was associated with reduced rates of morbidity and mortality in HIV-exposed uninfected infants. From US National Library of Medicine.
Africa: Stroke drug can ‘improve quality of life’ – Patients given a clot-busting drug within six hours of a stroke are more likely to have a good quality of life 18 months afterwards, an international study suggests. From BBC Health.
South Africa: Decrease in women abuse can result in decrease in HIV infections, say researchers – Women who experience gender-based violence have a higher risk of contracting HIV: this should be considered in South Africa’s prevention strategy. From Mail and Guardian.

Inspiring stories:

Uganda: Living with hope, happiness and HIV– Annie’s story – “One of the reasons I am so keen to help,” says Annie quietly, “is that I am also HIV positive.” Annie is a short woman who holds herself tall and is never without a friendly smile. She talks about her voluntary work at the Joint Clinical Research Centre, where she offers support for children living with HIV. From the International edition of ehospice.

Scholarships and awards:

Africa: 2013 palliative care public health policy and advocacy awards for Africa – The awards seek to recognize the cumulative contributions of an African Ministry of Health, an individual and an institution whose public policy advocacy efforts at the national, regional, or international level have improved patient access to palliative care in Africa. From APCA.
Africa: 2013 APCA palliative care journalist award for Africa – The African Palliative Care Association (APCA), with funding from the Open Society Foundations (OSF), is pleased to announce the 2013 APCA Palliative Care Journalist Award for Africa. From APCA.

Jobs:

Uganda/Kenya: VSO are looking for a range of health care professionals – Do you have qualifications and/or experience as a doctor, nurse, midwife, midwife trainer, nurse trainer, hospital administrator, hospital manager, hospital management information system specialist or maternal and child health care specialist? Apply today. From VSO.
South Africa: Health advisors: National Department of Health – Provide leadership support within the national Department of Health (DoH) for the bilateral Partnership Framework Implementation Plan (PFIP) between the US and South African governments for the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief. From ehospice.

Events:

Global: Webinar: Pain among HIV outpatients – The “Prevalence, experience and management of pain among HIV outpatients: Secondary analysis of the PEPFAR care and support public health evaluation” webinar will take place July 2 at 10:00am EST. Dr. Richard Harding, King’s College London, will present. Tuesday, July 2, 2013 5:00:00 PM EAT – 6:00:00 PM EAT. From MEASURE Evaluation.
Zimbabwe: ehospice looks ahead to the APCA/HPCA conference – This week, ehospice talks to Jenny Hunt about what she is looking forward to at the upcoming African Palliative Care Association (APCA) and Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa (HPCA) conference in South Africa. From the Africa edition of ehospice.
Uganda: The 5^th Biannual Palliative Care Association of Uganda conference – Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala Uganda. 29^th – 30^th August 2013. From PCAU.
South African: The African Palliative Care Association and Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa’s palliative care conference – September 17th – 20^th 2013, Johannesburg, South Africa. From APCA.
South Africa: South Africa AIDS Conference interview: Zodwa Sithole – In this series of short interviews, ehospice South Africa catches up with Zodwa Sithole. From the International edition of ehospice.