ecancermedicalscience

Conference Report

Children’s palliative care now! Highlights from the second ICPCN conference on children’s palliative care, 18–21 May 2016, Buenos Aires, Argentina

23 Aug 2016
J Downing, R Kiman, S Boucher, B Nkosi, B Steel, C Marston, E Lascar, J Marston

The International Children’s Palliative Care Network held its second international conference on children’s palliative care in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from the 18th–21st May 2016. The theme of the conference was ‘Children’s Palliative Care…. Now!’ emphasising the need for palliative care for children now, as the future will be too late for many of them. Six pre-conference workshops were held, addressing issues connected to pain assessment and management, adolescent palliative care, ethics and decision-making, developing programmes, the basics of children’s palliative care, and hidden aspects of children’s palliative care. The conference brought together 410 participants from 40 countries. Plenary, concurrent, and poster presentations covered issues around the status of children’s palliative care, genetics, perinatal and neonatal palliative care, the impact of children’s palliative care and the experiences of parents and volunteers, palliative care as a human right, education in children’s palliative care, managing complex pain in children, spiritual care and when to initiate palliative care. The ‘Big Debate’ explored issues around decision-making and end of life care in children, and gave participants the opportunity to explore a sensitive and thought provoking topic. At the end of the conference, delegates were urged to sign the Commitment of Buenos Aires which called for governments to implement the WHA resolution and ensure access to palliative care for neonates, children and their families, and also commits us as palliative care providers to share all that we can and collaborate with each other to achieve the global vision of palliative care for all children who need it. The conference highlighted the ongoing issues in children’s palliative care and participants were continually challenged to ensure that children can access palliative care NOW.

Related Articles

Arunah Chandran, Ishu Kataria, Kunal Oswal, Rita Isaac, Meritxell Mallafré-Larrosa, Sathishrajaa Palaniraja, Rajaraman Swaminathan, Rohit Rebello, Nandimandalam Venkata Vani, Bindhya Vijayan, Moni Kuriakose, Arnie Purushotham, Rengaswamy Sankaranarayanan, Jerard Selvam, Richard Sullivan, Partha Basu
Chalothorn Wannaphut, Phuuwadith Wattanachayakul, Sakditad Saowapa, Ben Ponvilawan, Manasawee Tanariyakul, Jakrin Kewcharoen, Pitchaporn Yingchoncharoen, Thanathip Suenghataiphorn, Noppawit Aiumtrakul, Jared Acoba
Fatuma Affey, Dabo Galgalo Halake, Grace Muira Wainaina, Hussein Ali Osman, James G Ndukui, Houda Abdourahman, Omar Abdihamid
José Richard Tenazoa-Villalobos, Edgar Fermín Yan-Quiroz, Augusto Ordoñez-Chinguel, Sofia Leonor Prado-Cucho, Adesman Isac Miranda-Narro, Vladimir Villoslada-Terrones
Tinashe Adrian Mazhindu, Ntokozo Ndlovu, Margaret Borok, Vincent Aketch Nyangwara, Pageneck Chikondowa, Marie Hidjo Madeleine, Collen Masimirembwa, Onesai Chihaka, Edith Matsikidze, Charley Jang, Kevin Grimes