Advancing Paediatric Palliative Care in Crisis-Affected Regions

Authors: Rizwana Hussain, Alex Daniels, Joan Marston and Megan Doherty

According to recent UNICEF data, 123 million children in 146 countries will be affected by humanitarian crises in 2025. The Global Atlas for Palliative Care estimates that 3% of children in these settings would benefit from palliative care—an estimated 6,390,000 children.

As Joan Marston, Executive Committee member of PallCHASE, emphasizes:

“With the increasing number of children requiring palliative care caught up in humanitarian crises, increasing education and mentorship is an essential part of effective action to reach and support these children.”

Following the successful completion of the first Humanitarian PPC ECHO programme, in 2024, a new cohort has successfully completed the Children’s Palliative Care Champions Course for Humanitarian Crisis Settings. Developed through a partnership between Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration, Palliative Care in Humanitarian Aid Situations and Emergencies (PallCHASE) and the International Children’s Palliative Care Network, this virtual ECHO course continues to address the growing need for сhildren’s palliative care in conflict-affected, fragile, and humanitarian settings.

Grounded in the Project ECHO model, the course provides practical, expert-led training through didactic lectures, real-world case discussions, and interactive learning through the ICPCN’s e-learning modules. Healthcare professionals—pediatricians, nurses, and allied health workers gain vital knowledge to support children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, especially in regions where health systems are overstretched.

In addition to weekly online sessions, participants completed the ICPCN’s online course, Children’s Palliative Care in Humanitarian Settings, freely available on the ICPCN’s –  Education and Membership Hub. The Hub unlocks access to ICPCN membership, recordings of monthly webinars and a range of online courses. All online courses are endorsed by the University of South Wales.

The 2025 cohort included 82 healthcare professionals representing 36 countries across South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The participants reflected diverse professional backgrounds: 31 doctors, 23 nurses, and 28 allied health professionals. The group had strong representation from women in healthcare, with 59 female and 23 male participants. This diversity enriched the learning environment and fostered cross-cultural dialogue on pediatric palliative care in humanitarian settings.

Building on this online course, the ECHO included six weekly interaction sessions of 75 minutes each, with the following topics:

1. Introduction to Paediatric Palliative Care in Humanitarian Settings
2. Communication
3. Pain Management
4. Symptom Management
5. End-of-Life Care – Symptom Management
6. End-of-Life Care – Grief, Bereavement, and Self-Care

A core strength of the course has been the successful collaboration, bringing together a diverse group of international faculty including experts who bring experience from humanitarian, fragile and conflict-affected regions around the world. This diversity brings a range of perspectives and mentorship, helping participants adapt PPC principles to their own unique challenges. It also cultivates a global peer network that may serve as an enduring support system beyond the course.

The programme’s impact is underscored by endorsement from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) in the UK, highlighting its educational value and its role in improving care for children in underserved areas.

For course participants, they have now taken the first step in their palliative care journey, as they seek to transform care in the most demanding conditions ensuring that seriously ill children, and their families, in crisis settings receive the compassionate, comprehensive care they deserve.

Children’s Palliative Care in Humanitarian settings will be the focus of discussion at the upcoming ICPCN webinar scheduled for Thursday 21^st August at 1pm UK time – click here for more details.