Travel date: December 13, 2017
Name of Meeting/Event/Activity: 4th Congrès International Francophone de Soins Palliatif
Origin: Framingham, USA / Destination: Geneva, Switzerland
I was not familiar with the francophone conferences in palliative care, but this is the first Francophone meeting in Palliative Care I participated since the programme started. It was beneficial to understand the context of realities based on the presentations of experts in palliative care from francophone countries. It was also essential to create a network of different expertise in Africa which could help to share experiences, challenges, opportunities and best practices among peers. I had an opportunity to listen and interact with many Africans who practice in the country and learned how they address this critical need of palliative care in the francophone region.
During the Congress, I also represented our local organization called “ Rwanda Palliative Care and Hospice Organisation” a Non-profit organization located in Kigali which became the member of the FISP “Federation Francophone Internationale de Soins Palliatifs” since November 2017. This network has helped me to reconnect with Francophones experts from different areas of palliative care and learned their experiences to provide palliative care in their countries. The platform for exchanging experiences between participants from Africa continent where essential achievements to understand the different perspectives of neighbors Francophones countries. I have learned also different exciting experiences, especially from countries in North of Africa where the data of accessibility and availability of Morphine is essential compared to most of the sub-Saharan African countries. I expect the information, contacts, and knowledge gained during the Congress will benefiting in our daily practice from the network of exchanging experiences.
My gratitude to IAHPC to avail this “traveling scholarship” to give me an opportunity to meet with different experts in palliative care from francophone countries in Africa but also to travel to different locations to learn and exchange experiences in palliative care. As a scholar from developing country, this opportunity is helping me in the development of palliative care perspectives in our country because of the exposure to attending different conferences which we gain knowledge and exchange experiences.
The implementation of palliative care is a global health challenge, which has implications not only for health systems but various layers of our society. Millions of patients, especially in low- and middleincome countries experience unnecessary suffering and pain without access to morphine. The enhanced WHO public health model provides an effective strategy for integrating palliative care in all African countries. It is up to this generation of health-care providers to offer patients this multi-sectoral and multidisciplinary approach in Africa. It was beneficial to understand the context of realities based on the presentations of experts in palliative care from francophone countries. It was also essential to create a network of different expertise in Africa which could help to share experiences, challenges, opportunities and best practices among peers. The platform for exchanging experiences between participants from Africa continent where essential achievements to understand the different perspectives of neighbors Francophones countries.
I have learned also different exciting experiences, especially from countries in North of Africa where the data of accessibility and availability of Morphine is essential compared to most of the sub-Saharan African countries. I hope the information, contacts, and knowledge gained during the Congress will benefiting in our daily practices from the network of exchanging experiences. "Death is a reality of the medical profession, but pain doesn't have to be."