Dear Readers,
Time does fly! This issue marks the 27th anniversary of the IAHPC Newsletter!!
Hard to believe that it has been that many years. We transitioned from a small, paper version to this amazing resource in your inbox. We are very proud of our newsletter, but most of all we appreciate the work of those who have contributed to it over so many years. Our contributors make this monthly publication possible.
The newsletter ties into one of our fundamental pillars of work: disseminate information to educate stakeholders and amplify impacts where change is happening, which increases demand for palliative care and inspires change. Positive stories and focused messaging in the newsletter support and advance the global palliative care movement. Through the IAHPC Newsletter, we strengthen palliative care messaging, information, and communication to inspire global change for palliative care integration.
Many thanks to IAHPC members, officers, and members of our board of directors who contribute outstanding content each month. We are especially grateful to those who contribute monthly, including Dr. Katherine Pettus for her roundup of policy and advocacy news. We also remember one of IAHPC’s founders, Dr. Roger Woodruff, who churned out a wealth of book reviews each month for many years, before his passing in 2021.
Please keep in mind that we accept your reports describing progress and programs that you are implementing, as well as news from your region. Your articles enrich our newsletter and are a crucial part of our mission to facilitate communication. Please contact our editor, Alison Ramsey, if you are interested in submitting a piece for our newsletter.
Thanks also to our webmaster, Mr. Danilo Fritzler, for his excellent work in designing, formatting, and distributing the newsletter. Each month Danilo receives the articles from Alison, transforms them into an electronic file, and sends it to more than 8,000 subscribers as well as adding it to our website.
On a separate but also very important topic, we recently learned that an application for the inclusion of transmucosal fentanyl citrate in the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines for cancer breakthrough pain has been submitted to the World Health Organization. In response to this application, we submitted a letter to the WHO listing the reasons as to why we oppose this application. The WHO Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines will meet April 24-28. You can read the original application and our letter in the WHO Essential Medicines Committee section.
Please join our call to stop the inclusion of this medication in the WHO essential medicines list. Send letters to the WHO Secretariat ([email protected]) describing the challenges of including such a complicated formulation.
We will let the global palliative care community know the outcome of the WHO Expert Committee Meeting after results have been made public.
Until next month,
Lukas Radbruch, MD
Chair
Liliana De Lima, MHA
Executive Director
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