200 doctors and scholars from Central Europe and the Balkans, together with WHO delegations, they will discuss the adoption and development of therapies that alleviate suffering. Palliative care as a human right: it is necessary to guarantee patients universal access to treatments
On Friday 24 and Saturday 25 May, the University of Trieste will host the international conference Overcoming barriers and borders in palliative care: 100-Units of opportunities, promoted by the Italian Society of Palliative Care (SICP), in collaboration with the Julian University and the Central European Initiative (CEI).
The conference will host around 200 researchers and medical specialists in palliative care from Central and Eastern European countries to share good practices, implement services and strengthen collaboration between the “Alpe Adria Region and the Western Balkans” at an institutional and training level. Speeches are expected from representatives of the World Health Organization and experts from Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania who will compare their respective experiences.
The development of protocols and the provision of palliative care can significantly improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Palliative care satisfies the patient’s right to relief from suffering and represents a challenge for healthcare systems facing the aging population and the consequent coexistence of patients with chronic and degenerative diseases. Globally, it is estimated that only 14% of patients who need it currently receive palliative care.
The Conference will propose to recognize the administration of palliative care as a human right for those who are in serious suffering and will therefore reiterate the need to guarantee universal access to treatments that alleviate suffering.
The University of Trieste has long been committed to training, having activated educational modules dedicated to palliative care in the curricular paths of the Master’s Degree in Medicine and Surgery and the Degree in Nursing. UniTS is also among the first Italian universities to have activated the School of Specialization in Palliative Care.
The scientific committee of the international conference is coordinated by Dr. Raffaella Antonione, director of the Complex Palliative Care and Hospice Network Structure of the Julian Area of ASUGI and professor at the University of Trieste.
The event will officially open on Friday 24 May, at 9.30 am, with institutional greetings which will include, among others, speeches by:
Natasha Azzopardi Muscat, Director Division Health Country Policies and Systems, WHO Europe
Roberto Antonione, Secretary General of the Central European Initiative
Roberto Di Lenarda, Rector of the University of Trieste
Sebastiano Callari, Regional Councilor for Heritage, State Property, General Services and Information Systems, Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia
Roberto Dipiazza, Mayor of the Municipality of Trieste
Enrico Trevisi, Bishop of the Diocese of Trieste
