The Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) and the Palliative Care Association of Uganda (PCAU) will host the 4th Uganda Conference on Cancer and Palliative Care, on 14th – 15th September 2023 at Speke Resort, Munyonyo in Kampala, Uganda. The theme of this year’s conference is “Scaling up availability, accessibility, quality and equity”.
While this is the 4th conference cohosted by the partnership between the UCI and PCAU, it is the 11th PCAU Conference. Since 1999 PCAU has held 6 biennial conferences that brought together local and international stakeholders in palliative care.
In 2017, the UCI and PCAU established a Memorandum of Understanding to host biennial international conferences on Cancer and Palliative Care in Kampala.
The partnership hosted the 1st biennial joint conference when UCI marked its golden jubilee in 2017 and in 2019, they held their 2nd Conference. In 2021, UCI and PCAU hosted the 3rd Uganda Conference on Cancer Conference and palliative care amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic. These conferences were all successful and attended by an average of 350 delegates from across the globe.
The 2023 conference has attracted over 110 presenters of researched publications and program-related work. The conference has six major tracks on:
a) Innovations and new technologies,
b) Education, advocacy, policy, and the law,
c) Health promotion, prevention, and early detection,
d) Family and community involvement and empowerment,
e) Clinical care and symptom and also
f) Psychological, social, and spiritual care
The Keynote speaker at the Conference will be Meg O’Brien, PhD the Vice President, of Global Cancer Treatment, American Cancer Society. The conference organizing committee has invited Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Director General WHO to give opening remarks and the confirmed Chief Guest during the Conference Opening Ceremony is Jane Ruth Aceng the Minister of Health in the Cabinet of Uganda.
At the scientific conference, there will special side event on governance and leadership for Chief Executive Officers and Members of the Board of Directors on governance for public and private institutions.
The event will focus on sustainable governance practices for the post-COVID-19. There will also be a special roundtable discussion on aging and ageism. The other designated workshops on the conference program will be Health Information Systems (data), access to essential medicines, and research and innovation.
Uganda is a model of palliative care service delivered in resource-limited settings. There has been tremendous growth and spread of palliative care in the country as reflected in one of the recent studies on the status of palliative care in Uganda.
Hospice and Palliative care work in Uganda is tressed with the establishment of Hospice Africa Uganda in 1993. Dr. Anne Merriman convinced the Ministry of Health who allowed and facilitated the reconstitution of Oral Liquid Morphine and patients in need have been receiving this medicine free of charge since the.
At the Conference, an autobiography of Dr. Merriman will be launched to mark 30 years of specialist palliative care work in Uganda.
The Uganda cancer Institute is Uganda’s premier cancer treatment center that has contributed tremendously to research, training, and care of cancer patients worldwide since its inception in 1967. UCI is host to the regional center of excellence in oncology – The East Africa Oncology Institute.
Uganda’s current cancer statistics show a gradual rise in overall incidence of cancer in both men and women but also the public health concern is complicated by late-stage diagnosis, limited access to treatment and loss to follow up of patients. The current draft National Cancer Control Plan 2021 – 2026 focuses on the prevention and treatment of cancer and its related diseases in an all-inclusive manner.
This conference will offer an expanded scope, enriched experience, and unique opportunities to discuss research findings as well as educational sessions on cancer and palliative care by experts. It will further provide an opportunity to showcase scientific and program work carried out by different individuals and institutions.
Conference registration and appeal for Ugandan, African, and Global delegates is still open at https://conference.pcauganda.org/registration/ and more information can be obtained through the conference website at https://conference.pcauganda.org/
For by email reach us at conference@pcau.org.ug or conference@uci.or.ug or call us directly at +256 392080713 at Palliative Care Association of Uganda or +256 414540410 at Uganda Cancer Institute.
By Lisa Christine Irumba
Advocacy and Research Officer, Palliative Care Association of Uganda
I am incredibly excited about this conference. I can’t wait to be in Munyonyo. As a student of Palliative Care, I anticipate learning a lot from the Icons of Palliative Care on both the International and Local scene.
Thank you Ezra, we look forward to hosting you.
Lisa