Tea break reading

8^th July – 15^th July:

News and views

Editor’s pick:

Global: Human Rights Council approves resolution on essential medicines – Last month the Human Rights Council of the United Nations approved a resolution on essential medicines, highlighting the responsibility of States to ensure that procurement practices and procedures for medicines are transparent, fair, competitive and non-discriminatory. From the International edition of ehospice.
Southern Africa: UK focuses on preventing HIV among adolescents in southern Africa – The UK government is to invest £10.7m in researching how to prevent adolescents and prisoners, two of the most vulnerable groups in southern Africa, becoming infected with HIV. From The Guardian.

Elsewhere in the news:

Global: New HelpAge CEO – HelpAge International, the global network that campaigns for the rights of older people, has announced the appointment of Toby Porter as its new Chief Executive Officer. From HelpAge International website.
Africa: Abuja +12: African leaders meet to evaluate progress on AIDS, TB and Malaria – African heads of government will meet in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city from 12 to 16 July for the Abuja +12 special summit on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. From Safaids.
Sierra Leone: Death, dying and palliative care in Sierra Leone – Midwife Noemi Vickers writes for ehospice about the challenges of implementing palliative care in her work in Sierra Leone. From ehospice.
Tanzania: Two Scottish adventurers run up and down Mount Kilimanjaro in just one day as part of a research programme into distance running – Andrew Murray, who was nominated for a Sunday Mail Our Heroes Award, and Donnie Campbell plan to complete 17 consecutive ultra-marathons in East Africa. The runners are raising money for palliative care work in Kenya. From the Daily Record and Sunday Mail and Euronews.
Uganda: Microfinance institutions join anti-AIDS campaigns – Microfinance Institutions in Uganda have agreed to support clients infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. From AllAfrica.com.
Zambia: Train more surgeons, urges First Lady – First Lady Christine Kaseba has called for the training of more surgeons to provide care for women with cervical and breast cancer – From Times of Zambia.
South Africa: Dr Julia Ambler of Umduduzi wins the Sunday Tribune Lead SA Hero of the Year Award – The Sunday Tribune, one of South Africa’s leading Sunday newspapers, has conferred its first ever ‘Lead Hero of the Year’ award on Dr Julia Ambler, from Umduduzi for providing paediatric palliative care to the children of the greater Durban area of KwaZulu Natal. From ehospice, South Africa edition.

Inspiring stories

Africa: George’s Story – Two years ago George, a recently retired GP from Cambridge made the decision to spend three months in Africa as a Palliative Care Mentor in Tanzania: an experience that he refers to as ‘life changing’. From the THET website.
Kenya: Colon cancer stole my husband; Nancy’s story – Losing a loved one to cancer can be a painful experience but as Nancy, a 28-year-old widow explains, hospice care lessens this pain. From ehospice, Kenya edition.

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. Deadline for nominations is 31st July. From APCA.
Africa: 2013 APCA Palliative Care Journalist Awards for Africa – The awards seek to recognise the best coverage of issues pertaining to palliative care in Africa, meeting the WHO’s definition of palliative care. Deadline for submissions is 31st July. 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: Vacancies for health care professionals – Africa Health Placements cites vacancies from a network of government bodies, private sector institutions and civil society organisations. From the Africa Health Placements website.

Events

South Africa: African Cancer Leaders Institute –
Applications are now being accepted for the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) African Cancer Leaders Institute (ACLI). Application deadline is 1st August 2013. From AORTIC.
Uganda: The 5th Biannual Palliative Care Association of Uganda conference – Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala Uganda. 29th – 30th August 2013. From PCAU.
South Africa: 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.