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Transforming children's palliative care-from ideas to action: highlights from the first ICPCN conference on
J Downing1, J Marston2, Ma Muckaden3
1International Children's Palliative Care Network and Makerere University, PO Box 72518, Kampala, Uganda.
Insights
The International Children's Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) conference focused on transforming children's palliative care globally. Key outcomes included advocacy, education, and the Mumbai Declaration, urging improved access to care and opposing child euthanasia.
Area of Science:
- Global Health
- Palliative Care Medicine
- Pediatrics
Background:
- The International Children's Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) convened its inaugural international conference.
- The conference aimed to advance children's palliative care services worldwide, emphasizing the transition from concept to implementation.
- A critical need exists to ensure all children requiring palliative care can access it, irrespective of their geographical location.
Purpose of the Study:
- To bring together global stakeholders to discuss and strategize the advancement of children's palliative care.
- To identify key challenges and opportunities in service provision, advocacy, education, and research.
- To foster collaboration and commitment towards improving pediatric palliative care globally.
Main Methods:
- A three-day international conference (February 10-12, 2014) in Mumbai, India, preceded by specialized workshops.
- Gathered 235 participants from 38 countries, including healthcare professionals and advocates.
- Facilitated discussions and workshops on principles of pediatric palliative care, pain management, and advocacy.
Main Results:
- Identified critical themes: advocacy, leadership, education, research, communication, spirituality, and neonatal care.
- Highlighted significant progress in developing an evidence base and educational resources for children's palliative care.
- Culminated in the signing of the ICPCN Mumbai Declaration, calling for global government action and opposing child euthanasia.
Conclusions:
- The conference underscored the urgent need for action to transform children's palliative care services worldwide.
- The Mumbai Declaration serves as a call to action for governments to prioritize and improve access to quality pediatric palliative care.
- Participants were urged to become champions for children's palliative care, driving change and ensuring access for all children in need.
Abstract:
The International Children's Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) held its first international conference on children's palliative care, in conjunction with Tata Memorial Centre, in Mumbai, India, from 10-12 February 2014. The theme of the conference, Transforming children's palliative care-from ideas to action, reflected the vision of the ICPCN to live in a world where every child who needs it, can access palliative care, regardless of where they live. Key to this is action, to develop service provision and advocate for children's palliative care. Three pre-conference workshops were held on 9 February, aimed at doctors, nurses, social workers, and volunteers, and focused around the principles of children's palliative care, and in particular pain and symptom management. The conference brought together 235 participants representing 38 countries. Key themes identified throughout the conference included: the need for advocacy and leadership; for education and research, with great strides having been taken in the development of an evidence base for children's palliative care, along with the provision of education; the importance of communication and attention to spirituality in children, and issues around clinical care, in particular for neonates. Delegates were continually challenged to transform children's palliative care in their parts of the world and the conference culminated in the signing of the ICPCN Mumbai Declaration. The Declaration calls upon governments around the world to improve access to quality children's palliative care services and made a call on the Belgian government not to pass a bill allowing children to be euthanised in that country. The conference highlighted many of the ongoing developments in children's palliative care around the world, and as she closed the conference, Joan Marston (ICPCN CEO) challenged participants to take positive action and be the champions that the children need, thus transforming children's palliative care.
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