Professor Cynthia Goh, Co-Chair of the 12th Asia Pacific Hospice Conference 2017 Organising Committee, and Chair of the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network, welcomes you to Singapore and urges you to submit your abstracts now . . .
Professor Cynthia Goh
After 21 years, the Asia Pacific Hospice Conference (APHC) is back again in Singapore (26 to 29 July 2017). I must say, this conference is really bringing back many fond memories of the conference that was held in 1996: of Dame Cicely Saunders (founder of the modern hospice movement), Dr Rosalie Shaw, who became the first executive director of the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN) and Dr Hinohara, who first had the idea of a network to link individuals and organisations working in this field.
It was very encouraging to meet other like-minded friends in the region doing pioneering work in Asia at that time. We shared about our challenges, experiences, struggles and concerns for the future. It was in Singapore where we resolved to hold regular, regional conferences.
What to expect at the conference
The theme of this conference ‘Greater than the Sum of its Parts’ reflects our aspiration to join together and, in our sharing, find that we are stronger and more greatly enriched than if we were working as individuals in isolation. I hope at this 12th APHC 2017, we shall feel once more the warmth and friendship of belonging to one hospice family.
Exciting features of the conference
We hope that during this conference, there will be much sharing of ideas of different ways of doing things, learning about what is unique in each of our countries, and what we have in common. The conference will be a place to hear updates about the Asia Pacific region. The APHN is deeply involved in projects to build capacity in palliative care in the region, in education and in research. In this conference, there will be a concurrent session to talk about the Lien Collaborative for Palliative Care project on how to build palliative care services and have them integrated into the healthcare systems. A Mandarin pre-conference workshop has also been specially included in the programme on updates of palliative care in the Chinese-speaking regions such as China.
To encourage our colleagues from the developing countries to join us at the conference, APHN will be giving out the Rosalie Shaw Travel Scholarship and several APHN bursaries for which participants may apply. Look out for more information on the scholarships and bursaries at the APHN website.
My personal wish is for participants to find not only the latest updates and knowledge at this conference, but also refreshment of body and soul as you meet with friends and like-minded people at this palliative care conference.
Find out more …
- 12th Asia Pacific Hospice Conference – 26 to 29 July 2017. Full details of the programme and online registration here.
- Call for abstracts (deadline 30 December 2016). Guidelines and online submission here.
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