Tea break reading: African palliative care in the news

22^nd March 2014 – 28^th March
2014

News and views:

Editor’s pick:

Global: Online survey on pain management in
children around the world – The International Children’s Palliative
Care Network (ICPCN) invites all health care professionals working with
children to complete an online survey on the role of the organisations in
the management of pain in children around the world. Africa
edition of ehospice.
Africa: An African palliative care ‘No make-up
selfie’ – A trend has swept social media that involves posting ‘No
make-up selfies’. The idea is to combine posting a photo of yourself with
donating money to (mainly) cancer charities whilst at the same time
nominating others to the same. Steve Hynd from the African Palliative Care
Association writes for ehospice about the new trend. Africa
edition of ehospice.
Africa: World TB Day: the fight against HIV/AIDS
is vital to a future without tuberculosis – Despite the staggering
cost of lives due to co-infection between TB and HIV, we
at PEPFAR, in conjunction with our partners implementing TB
programs around the world, are encouraged to see progress over the past
few years in combatting co-infection. AIDS.Gov.

Elsewhere in the news:

Africa: FHSSA to rename as they seek
palliative care partnerships outside of Africa – The organisation
formerly known as FHASSA has rebranded itself as ‘Global Partners for
Care’ as it seeks to establish palliative care partnerships in countries
not just in Africa. Africa
edition of ehospice.
Africa: Fourth Annual FHSSA Global Partnership
Award presented to outstanding US and African partnership – Gilchrist
Hospice Care and Nkoaranga Lutheran Hospital Palliative Care Program are
the 2014 Award Recipients. PR Web.
Uganda: Iganga hosts World TB Day – Uganda
Health spokesperson Rukia Nakamatte has revealed Iganga district is
hosting the event under the theme “Reach the 60,000 TB Patients. Test,
Treat and Cure all.” The
New Vision.
Uganda: The road to hope charity event hosted
by Torrey Devitto benefitting the palliative care association of Uganda
and the hospice foundation – Pretty Little Liars star and current
ambassador for The Hospice Foundation, Torrey DeVitto, will host the Road
to Hope charity event to raise money and awareness for this cause. PR Web.
Zambia: Four Seasons to host speaker from
Zambia – All the way from Zambia, global health leader Njekwa Lumbwe
is coming to Hendersonville as part of a cross-continental partnership
with Four Seasons Compassion for Life. Blue
Ridge Now.

Inspiring
stories:

South
Africa: Beating MDR TB – Koketso’s
story – While TB is curable, MDR-TB is a condition appropriate for
palliative care. This is the story of a young MDR-TB patient who was
supported by a local children’s hospice to beat the disease. International
Children’s edition of ehospice.

South
Africa: Tribute to Professor Leana
Uys – The South African palliative care community, particularly the
nurses associated with the Hospice Palliative Care Association (HPCA),
were sad to learn of the death of this inspiring and generous leader. South
Africa edition of ehospice.
South
Africa: Tuberculosis heroes – Victoria
Mbhabhama had already lost one daughter to extensively drug resistant
tuberculosis or XDR-TB. In khayelitsha, the township where she lives in
South Africa, the disease is rampant. Then, last year XDR-TB struck her
surviving twin daughter, Funiwe. She received treatment, but the drug
regimine for XDR is extremely arduous. Watch on the South
Africa edition of ehospice.

Research:

Sub-Saharan
Africa: Provider-initiated partner
notification of HIV is potentially cost-effective in sub-Saharan Africa – Provider-initiated
partner notification for HIV effectively identifies new cases of HIV in
sub-Saharan Africa, but is not widely implemented. Our objective was
to determine whether provider-based HIV partner notification strategies
are cost-effective for preventing HIV transmission compared with passive
referral. We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis using a
decision-analytic model from the health system perspective during a
1-year period. UNAIDS.
South
Africa: Assessment of the need for
palliative care for children in South Africa – UNICEF and the
International Children’s Palliative Care Network undertook a joint
analysis in three sub-Saharan countries-Zimbabwe, South Africa, and
Kenya-to estimate the palliative care need among their children and to
explore these countries’ capacities to deliver children’s palliative care
(CPC). International
Journal of Palliative Nursing.

Jobs,
awards and events:

Global: #HPMGlobal twitter
chat. Join Jim Cleary on twitter at 3pm
(East Africa Time) every Monday to discuss the latest global palliative
care issues. Twitter
Global: 20th International AIDS Conference – The conference will be
held from 20-25 July 2014 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition
Centre, in Melbourne, Australia and will represent a tremendous
opportunity to highlight the diverse nature of the Asia Pacific region’s
HIV epidemic and the unique responses to it. International
AIDS Society.
Global: World Congress of Psycho-Oncology – The
congress, which will be based around the theme of ‘Integrating
phsycho-oncology into mainstream cancer care; from research into action’,
will bring together experts from around the world to discuss new
perspectives in clinical care, new data from research, innovative
educational programs, advocacy, organisational issues and cancer policies.
It is to beheld in Lisbon, Portugal from 20 to 24 of October 2014. International
edition of ehospice.
Global: African health forum – Astrategic
meeting between african and international decision makers. Geneva 16-17^th
May 2014. AHF.
Africa: Find all the latest
jobs in palliative care and related fields – Visit ehospice’s job site
to see the latest jobs in palliative care. African
edition of ehospice.
South
Africa: HPCA 2014 Conference – Who
Cares? Improving patient outcomes – The conference will be held
between the 15^th and 18^th September 2014 at the
Lagood Beach Hotel in Cape Town. More details on the HPCA Conference
Website.
Kenya: The 4th Kenya National Palliative Care
Conference 2014 – Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association
(KEHPCA) is delighted to announce the 4th National Palliative Care
Conference scheduled to take place from 12th to 14th November
2014 at Laico Regency Hotel in Nairobi. KEHPCA.
Nigeria: 54th Society of Physiotherapy Annual Scientific
Conference and General Meeting – the sub-theme for this year’s
conference is ‘The Role of Physiotherapy in Palliative Care for Terminally
ill Patients’. It will take place in Asaba, Delta State between the 20^th
and 25^th October 2014. NSP.
USA: 2014 New York City Fund-Raising
Reception for the African Hospice Initiative – Dr. Joseph O’Neill will
be the featured speaker at this year’s Reception. Please join us to
welcome this pioneer of palliative care and global health. We also will
hear stories from the field from Val Maasdorp, the Clinical Director of
Island Hospice Service in Zimbabwe. 22^nd April 2014. AHI.