Tea break reading: African palliative care in the news

23^rd August – 29^th August 2014

News and views:

Editor’s pick:

Global: Refugees and war – the challenge to palliative care – Joan Marston, ICPCN’s Chief Executive, asks what the palliative care community should be doing to ease the burden of war refugees with palliative care needs. Africa edition of ehospice.
West Africa: West Africa Ebola outbreak could infect 20,000 people, WHO says – The Ebola epidemic in West Africa could infect more than 20,000 people, the U.N. health agency said on Thursday, warning that an international effort costing almost half a billion dollars is needed to overcome the outbreak. Reuters, USA Today, Deutsche Welle, Fox News, Washington Post, BBC and The New York Times.
Uganda: New Ugandan HIV and AIDS law jeopardizes health of women, men, and children – “Last week, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed into law a bill that will likely harm the health of Uganda’s men, women, and children for years to come and could set the country back decades in progress in reducing the transmission of HIV.” Reuters, All Africa, Buzzfeed, and NTV Uganda.

Elsewhere in the news:

Global: Book review: ‘The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry’ by Rachel Joyce – A book review of Rachel Joyce’s debut novel, ‘The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry’ – a book which celebrates, explores and illustrates the importance of spiritual care within palliative care. Africa edition of ehospice.
Global: Does the global HIV response understand sex? Stigma, squeamishness and misunderstanding of anal sex is leading to research gaps and inaccurate information about the risks of this common sexual behaviour, and hindering effective HIV/AIDS prevention strategies, experts say. IRIN News.
Africa: ‘Cancel Cancer Africa’ take to the road to raise awareness of breast cancer in Africa – Read about an up-coming road trip around Africa that aims to raise awareness of breast cancer. Africa edition of ehospice.
West Africa: Fighting Ebola, and the conspiracy theories – Misinformation about politics may often seem silly — the immigration bill will give out free cars! — but the consequences of false beliefs in public health can be deadly. The New York Times.
West Africa: Is our failure to invest in an Ebola cure ‘morally bankrupt’ or financially prudent? – ‘It’s morally reprehensible that the current system is allowing people to die needlessly,’ says McDonald. ‘It’s the responsibility of both governments and businesses to structure any system so that it effectively delivers medicine that the world needs.’ The New Internationalist.
West Africa: Deaths from malaria and other diseases could soar while Africa’s over-stretched healthcare systems fight ebola – Many hospitals have effectively been shut down by the virus, and widespread fear of contracting it will stop people coming forward for treatment for other illnesses. The Independent.
West Africa: Aid workers are too often the unsung heroes – A tribute to the British hospice worker based in Sierra Leone who contracted ebola. The Telegraph.
Nigeria: Double vaccines ‘could hasten the end of polio’ – Using both types of polio vaccine could speed up efforts to free the world of the disease, research suggests. BBC.
Ghana: Cholera outbreak kills dozens – Cholera has killed at least 67 people in Ghana since June and infected more than 5,000 others, the Ghana Health Service said Friday. The New York Times.
DRC: Ebola epidemic confirmed in DRC: MSF sends specialists to the epicenter – Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has launched a response to the confirmed Ebola viral haemorrhagic fever outbreak in Equateur Province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Africa edition of ehospice and The Globe and Mail.
Mozambique: How palliative care can help to break the poverty cycle – Dr Petros Nyakunu, the Executive Director of PORENet in Mozambique, writes for ehospice about the link between poverty, disease and palliative care. Africa edition of ehospice.
Burundi: Blood woes in Burundi – Budget cuts and bureaucracy have been blamed for blood shortages which have claimed several lives in Burundi. IRIN News.
Kenya: With 100,000 new HIV infections every year, Kenya is in the red! – A report by the Ministry of Health suggests that three times less people died of HIV in Kenya in 2013, compared to the number of deaths 10 years ago. Daily Nation.
Uganda: Inter-Religious Council on its knees as USAID withdraws funding its Shs 90bn project – The sudden withdrawal of a grant worth billions of shillings by an American agency has paralysed operations at the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) including a wide-spread palliative care project. The Observer.
Botswana: “Not accepting death impedes palliative care in Botswana” – A hospice manager has revealed that a culture of not accepting death as an natural process is preventing people in Botswana getting palliative care. Anglican News.
Botswana: High Court instructs Botswana to provide free ARVs to foreign prisoners – The court held that the denial of ARV treatment to foreign prisoners violated Botswana’s constitutional rights. Botswana has one of the world’s highest rates of HIV infection and prisoners who are citizens of the country receive free HIV treatment. Prisoners who are not citizens have hitherto had to pay for the treatment. Business Daily Live.
South Africa: Euthanasia a way of controlling death? – Euthanasia – or assisted dying – may become an alternative to proper care. This is the fear of the Durban’s Highway Hospice, based in Sherwood, which weighed in on the controversial debate through its umbrella organisation, the Hospice Palliative Care Association. Independent Online.
South Africa: Ambrosini ‘chose to end his battle’ – Inkatha Freedom Party MP Mario Oriani-Ambrosini “decided to end his long battle” with cancer at the weekend, his family said on Monday night. Independent Online.

Research:

Global: Do more for depressed cancer patients – study – Three-quarters of cancer patients who also have clinical depression are not currently receiving any treatment for depression, a study has found. The Guardian.
South Africa: Palliative care in chronic disease – New Research from Liz Gwyther from HPCA. The South African Medical Journal.

Jobs, awards and events:

Global: 2nd Paediatric Palliative Care Congress in Rome – The 2nd Paediatric Palliative Care Congress is to take place from 19 – 21 November 2014 in Rome. ehospice.
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: 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.
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.
Uganda: World Palliative Care Day event – Soccer Gala – PCAU is hosting a Soccer Gala to mark the World Palliative Care Day Event. 08:00am – 14:00pm 11^th October 2014. PCAU.
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.