Five weeks to go until the International Children’s Palliative Care Network conference in Buenos Aires

Categories: Education.

An excellent line-up of plenary speakers, an abstract-driven programme and a full day of excellent workshops are all on offer at the second conference hosted by the ICPCN.

The first conference, held in Mumbai, India in February 2014, proved to be an unforgettable experience, with delegates from around the world sharing good practice and enjoying the opportunity to learn from one another and to network. 

Plenary sessions


Plenary sessions include a look at why we need a human rights perspective in palliative care (Diedrich Lohman, Human Rights Watch), managing neuropathic pain (Dr Stefan Friedrichsdorf), perinatal palliative care (Alex Mancini) and genetics and its implications for palliative care (Dr Victor Penchaszadeh).

Provision has been made for all plenary sessions to be conducted with simultaneous translations from English to Spanish and vice versa.  

The big debate: is euthanasia part of children’s palliative care?

The first ICPCN conference saw the development of The Mumbai Declaration, which that states that euthanasia is not part of children’s palliative care and not an alternative to palliative care and calls on all governments to transform children’s lives through the development of children’s palliative care.

We will be revisiting this declaration and topic on day two of the conference with a debate on whether euthanasia should be part of children’s palliative care, chaired by Prof Julia Downing (scientific chair of the conference) and an Argentine lawyer, Maria Susana Ciruzzi.

Speaking for the motion will be Dr Eduard Verhagen, a paediatrician from The Netherlands experienced in neonatology intensive care and with extensive knowledge and experience in the field of paediatric, bioethical, legal and palliative care issues.

Speaking against the motion will be Dr Richard Hain, consultant and lead clinician in paediatric palliative medicine and visiting professor at the University of South Wales.


Workshops

A full day of excellent workshops on 18 May can be added to your conference experience at the cost of US$50 for the day. These workshops include:

  1. Principles of children’s palliative care (Spanish) Presented by Hernan Garcia (Argentina), Karina Gomez (Argentina), Dr Natalie Rodriguez Zamora (Chile) and Elena Bernada (Argentina)
  2. Developing CPC programmes in low resource settings (English) Presented by Lyn Gould (UK/China), Dr Pradnya Talawadekar (India) and Anna Gorchakova (Belarus)
  3. Ethics in decision making (English) Presented by Dr Richard Hain (UK), Dr María Susana Ciruzzi (Argentina), Fr. Rick Bauer (USA) and Dr Yuriko Nakashima (Mexico)
  4. Less recognised aspects of children’s palliative care (Spanish) Presented by Lara Doumic (Argentina), Claudia Liniado (Argentina), Felipe Acosta (Argentina) and Eduardo Lagomarsino (Argentina)
  5. Palliative care for adolescents (English & Spanish with simultaneous translation) Presented by Dr Marianne Phillips (Australia), Dr Teresa Mendez (Argentina) and Dr Eulalia Lascar (Argentina)
  6. Workshop on pain management (English with Spanish translation) Presented by Dr Stefan Friedrichsdorf (USA), Dr Ross Drake (NZ), Dr Alison Twycross (UK) and Dr Veronica Dussel (Argentina)

Should you wish to prepare yourself fully for this ‘trip of a lifetime’, you can read a number of lighthearted but most informative articles written by Colette Marston – who has been living in Buenos Aires for the past two years – on where to stay, what to see, where and what to eat and how to get by with some vital Spanish words and phrases.

Find out more from the conference website or send an email to Sue Boucher at info@icpcn.org

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