Joan Marston, ICPCN's Chief Executive (International Children's Palliative Care Network), asks what the palliative care community should be doing to ease the burden of war refugees with palliative care needs.

We have all been deeply affected by the humanitarian crises around the world and the pictures of the suffering of so many who have the misfortune to live in regions destroyed by war; forced to become refugees, living in tents in neighbouring countries and dependent on UN and other aid agencies to provide for their basic needs and health care.

Recent information tells us that people live in refugee camps for many years. There must be many who are living with cancer, organ failure, and other life-limiting conditions, and this must include children, older persons, and those living with disabilities – increasing their vulnerability and surely leading to a higher, and earlier, mortality.

As the palliative care community, with skills, knowledge, compassion and access to a global network of support, we could and should be there.

How and in what form we get there is the challenge.

Read the full article: http://www.icpcn.org/war-and-refugees-the-challenge-to-palliative-care-2/

The 2nd Congress on Paediatric Palliative Care – A Global Gathering, is set to take place in Rome, Italy from 19 – 21 November 2014. The 1st European Congress on Paediatric Palliative Care organised in Rome in November 2012 stimulated considerable international interest, drawing over 300 delegates from 40 countries across 4 continents and an elevated level of scientific content.

The goal of the 2nd Congress on Paediatric Palliative Care: a Global Gathering is to engage with professionals working with critically ill children worldwide. It will provide an international forum for interdisciplinary knowledge sharing.

Experiences, current topics and new perspectives on key issues regarding palliative care for children and their families can be debated, compared and discussed. The official language of the congress will be English, with simultaneous translation into Italian for all plenary sessions.

More information: http://www.icpcn.org/2nd-congress-on-paediatric-palliative-care-a-good-reason-to-be-in-rome-this-november/

This evidence-based 6-hour training provides structured information on how to organize and start a tailored physical activity and health education program for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) in community-based residential and day/vocational agencies.

The training can enhance staff's skills, knowledge, and abilities to work with persons who have disabilities to become more physically active, make healthy food choices, and incorporate healthy lifestyle into daily living.

Full information: http://www.healthmattersprogram.org/healthmatters.html