Latin American palliative care congress kicks off in Colombia

The congress is held every two years and organised by the Latin American Association of Palliative Care (ALCP). This year’s congress has been organised in partnership with the Colombian Palliative Care Association.

The theme of the congress is: ‘Palliative Care in cancer and other chronic diseases: a joint implementation for Latin America’, which represents one of the objectives and challenges of ALCP in the coming years.

Chronic diseases, and the increasing demand for palliative care as populations get older, are common themes across the world. This congress provides the opportunity for people with an interest in palliative care from across Latin America to come together to share knowledge and experiences and hear about new developments from local and international experts.

Many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean do not have adequate palliative care to cope with demand. It is estimated that only between 5 and 10% of patients who need palliative care receive it, and in 80% of the nations in the region palliative care is not recognised as a discipline and is not included in public and private health systems.

Find out more on the Latin American Association of Palliative Care website.