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Dear Friends, Partners and Colleagues,
It is said that seasons change and it is that time of the year again filled with festivities, introspection of the year, and looking forward to a new year with a new set of goals and another trip for our planet around the sun. A lot can happen in a year and we have all been through different experiences. Our hearts and empathy go out to anyone who lost their loved one this year and to the care givers who also get affected by grief and loss when a patient passes away. The WHPCD theme for 2022 was Healing Hearts and Communities, recognizing that the experience of grief and the need to heal unites humans worldwide. With more than six million deaths worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, millions of families and caregivers are grieving the deaths of family and friends, experiencing social isolation and property destruction.
We will continue to do our best with the resources we have together with your support to advocate for better quality of palliative care services for all who need this essential service. There is no Universal Health Coverage (UHC) without palliative care fully integrated into the healthcare system.
This year's UHC Day marks the last celebration before the 2023 High-Level Meeting on UHC. It is an important moment to drive momentum for health for all by 2030. In line with this, the WHPCA launched a UHC Factsheet which can be easily downloaded on our website resources section to further advocacy efforts across the globe. We would also like to thank those who participated in World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2022 (WHPCD) and made a difference in their own way. Your continuous support and passion for your work over the years keeps us going and we draw our inspiration from you.
We continue to stand with the people in Ukraine especially those who need palliative care services together with their families, friends and care givers. WHPCA with partners ICPCN, PallCHASE, and the Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Foundation have been running a Global Giving campaign for months to raise funds to support palliative care patients in Ukraine and affected countries nearby. The campaign is still running and you can still Help Support Palliative Care Patients in Ukraine.
Recently, the WHPCA embarked on the Help us close the access abyss to palliative care campaign Forty million people and their families living in a low or middle-income country are not able to access palliative care each year, causing unnecessary suffering for the most seriously ill. The Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance has members in over 100 countries. We need your support to help our members close this 'access abyss'. We are building a movement to ensure that palliative care is included in universal health coverage in all countries.
You can also find the WHPCA Annual Report 2021 - 2022 which was recently uploaded to the website. We wish you the very best as you plan to finish the year strong and we look forward to partnering with you in the coming year.
Love, light and blessings! Thank you.
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