Tea break reading: African palliative care in the news

19^th July – 25^th July 2014

News and views:

Editor’s pick:

Global: 20th International AIDS Conference begins with remembrance of MH17 tragedy – The 20th International AIDS Conference, officially began last night ( 20 July) in Melbourne, Australia, with moving tributes to the six delegates –among them “world leaders in the fight against AIDS” – who lost their lives aboard flight MH17. ehospice. Read the WPCA message here.
Global: ‘Decriminalise prostitution’: Top medical journal Lancet calls for global action to protect sex workers from HIV – Prostitution should be decriminalised to protect the health of sex workers, one of the world’s leading medical journals has said. The Independent and Human Rights Watch.
Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone’s chief Ebola doctor contracts the virus – The head doctor fighting an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in Sierra Leone has himself caught the disease, one of a growing list of medical workers infected while battling to halt its spread across West Africa. Reuters.

Elsewhere in the news:

Global: No one left behind? Palliative care at the 20th international AIDS conference – This week over 12 000 people from around the globe have gathered in Melbourne for the 20th International AIDS Conference. The theme is: ‘The last climb: ending AIDS, leaving no one behind’. Long gone are the three by five challenges (three million on treatments by 2005). Now we are talking of 20 million on treatment by 2020. But who is talking about palliative care. ehospice.
Global: Deaths from HIV, TB and malaria plummet globally – A rare analysis of international data from 188 countries reveals that fewer people are dying from HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. ABC.
Uganda/Global: HIV successes under threat from anti-gay crackdowns – Professor Chris Beyrer, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said: “Evidence shows that whenever people with HIV become outcasts, the disease spread.” Channel 4.
Uganda: Cervical cancer: Girls aged 9 to 13 to be vaccinated – According to the Uganda Cancer Registry, 40 per cent of cancer deaths are caused by cervical cancer. The Daily Monitor.
Uganda: Over 100 TASO staff to be laid off – More than 100 staff of The Aids Support Organisation (TASO) are to remain jobless as a United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded project winds up its work. The Daily Monitor.
Kenya: Health Ministry and KEHPCA disseminate cancer and palliative care guidelines – The Ministry of Health and Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association disseminates cancer and palliative care documents to hospitals. ehospice.
Kenya: We will not banish AIDS until we banish stigma – In Kenya 40% of all MSM are HIV-positive, according to theKenya AIDS NGO Consortium, and where “MSM and prisoners” make up 15% of all new HIV infections. HIV prevalence in Kenya on the whole is 5.6%. The ONE Campaign.
South Africa: Cash transfers plus care halve HIV risk behaviours in South African adolescents – Combining unconditional economic support in the form of government cash transfers, school feeding and food gardens, and psychosocial support (positive parenting and teacher social support) reduced incidence of HIV risk behaviour by around half for both female and male adolescents in South Africa, Dr Lucie Cluver of the University of Oxford told participants at the 20th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014) in Melbourne on Monday. AIDSMap.
Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone religious leaders criticise government handling of Ebola – Religious leaders in Sierra Leone have criticised the government’s handling of an Ebola outbreak that has killed 194 people in the West Africa country, saying a lack of information was prompting rural communities to shun medical help. Reuters.

Jobs, awards and events:

Global: 2nd Paediatric Palliative Care Congress in Rome – An announcement has been made that both the Abstract and Early Bird Registration deadlines have been extended for the 2nd Paediatric Palliative Care Congress to take place from 19 – 21 November 2014 in Rome. Both these deadlines have been extended to 15 July 2014. 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.