Research undertaken by the International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) reveals that there are over 21 million children in the world today who have been diagnosed with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition. The majority of these children live in the developing world where access to palliative and hospice care is limited or in some cases non-existent. The ICPCN is the only global charity dedicated to the development of palliative care services for these children and their carers.
Education is key
The ICPCN believes that education is key to ensuring that children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions receive the support that children’s palliative care provides. The ICPCN is the only provider of free University endorsed e-learning courses, as well as face to face training of medical and allied health professionals in children’s palliative care. To date the organisation has carried out training in 24 countries including Ukraine, Czech republic, Malaysia, India, Sudan, Malawi, Swaziland, Kenya and has also supported the training of over 150 healthcare professionals in Bangladesh. In 2017, the ICPCN also plans on conducting the first ever children’s palliative care training in Lesotho.
The education of healthcare professional in the principles of children’s palliative care is crucial to ensure that children with serious, life-threatening or life-limiting conditions experience a better quality of life, better pain and symptom control and the appropriate care at the time of death. In developing countries, training of healthcare professionals will enable them to care for up to 200 or more children per year.
Christmas Appeal challenge
As a response to the massive need for education and to collect critical funding for their education programme, the ICPCN has been chosen to participate in this year’s Global Giving UK Christmas Giving 50% match campaign, which runs from Giving Tuesday – 29 November 2016 until 31 December 2016.
This exciting new campaign includes:
- £20,000 in matching funds
- £4,500 in bonus prizes
- 50% match, up to £600 per unique donor per project while matching funds last
- 25% Gift Aid on all eligible UK donations
Last year the ICPCN came very close to winning the Global Giving campaign they participated in participated in. This year they ask you to assist them climb the Leaderboard in order to reach more children who need palliative care.
Please click here, to make a donation to the ICPCN Global Giving Christmas Appeal.
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