The International Program of the Harvard Medical School Center for Palliative Care, based in the Palliative Care Unit at MGH, offers training and technical assistance in palliative care, especially to colleagues in low-income countries.
Our main focus since 2006 has been Vietnam where we are assisting the Ministry of Health and major hospitals to integrate palliative care into the healthcare system. We also collaborate with colleagues in South Asia and Africa. We offer assistance with each of the WHO’s “four pillars” of national palliative care programs: policy, opioid availability, education, and implementation.
Palliative care relieves pain, other physical symptoms, and psycho-social distress of patients with cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other serious chronic illnesses. It thereby enhances the quality of life of both patients and their families. In our view, however, palliative care in resource-poor settings also should strive to improve access and adherence to disease-modifying treatments and promote disease prevention wherever these are not readily available. Conceived in this way, palliative care is an essential part of comprehensive care.
The International Program is directed by Eric Krakauer, MD, PhD., Associate Physician in the Division of General Medicine and Palliative Care Unit at MGH, and Assistant Professor of Medicine and Instructor of Global Health & Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Curricula
Palliative Care for HIV AIDS and Cancer Patients in Vietnam - Basic Training Curriculum (PDF)
Chăm Sóc Giảm Nhẹ cho Bệnh Nhân HIV AIDS và Ung Thư ở Việt Nam - Tài Liệu Tập Huấn Cơ Bản (PDF)
Palliative Care for HIV AIDS and Cancer Patients in Vietnam - Advanced Training Curriculum (PDF)
Chăm Sóc Giảm Nhẹ cho Bệnh Nhân HIV AIDS và Ung Thư ở Việt Nam - Tài Liệu Tập Huấn Nâng Cao (PDF)
Articles
Vietnam: Integrating Palliative Care into HIV/AIDS and Cancer Care
Reproduced with permission http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/08853924
Just Palliative Care: Responding Responsibly to the Suffering of the Poor
Reproduced with permission http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/08853924
Vietnam’s Palliative Care Initiative: Successes and Challenges in the First Five Years
Reproduced with permission http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/08853924
Opioid Inaccessibility and its Human Consequences: Reports from the Field
Strong opioids such as morphine are rarely accessible in low- and middle-income countries, even for patients with the most severe pain. The three cases reported here from three diverse countries provide examples of the terrible and unnecessary suffering that occurs everyday when this essential, inexpensive, and safe medication is not adequately accessible by patients in pain. The reasons for this lack of accessibility are explored, and ways to resolve the problem are proposed. For the full article, please visit: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/15360288.2010.501852
