Vietnam

Since 2016, we have collaborated with the University of Medicine & Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City to create probably the first academic department of palliative care in a low- or middle-income country. In keeping with WHO guidance, the Department provides required training in basic palliative care for medical and nursing students, intermediate-level palliative care training for residents and fellows in all fields that entail treatment of seriously ill patients, and palliative medicine specialist training. Planning is underway to open specialist training to any doctor in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asian regions. We also provide training and technical assistance for cancer centers, general hospitals, other medical schools throughout the country, and for the Ministry of Health. In addition, we collaborate with local partners on palliative care implementation research.

Dr. Khadidjatou Kane and Dr. Eric Krakauer of the HMS Program in Global Palliative care meet with Senegalese partners led by Dr. Mamadou Diop, Professor of Medicine at the Université Cheikh Anta Diop and Director of Senegal’s main cancer center.
Dr. Khadidjatou Kane and Dr. Eric Krakauer (center) of the HMS Program in Global Palliative Care meet with Senegalese partners at the Université Cheikh Anta Diop and Director of Senegal’s main cancer center.
Senegal

We have initiated collaboration with the renowned Université Cheikh Anta Diop School of Medicine in Dakar to create a palliative care training and research center for Francophone Africa. The center will provide basic palliative care training for medical students, intermediate-level training for residents, and a Palliative Care Specialist Diploma for doctors from Senegal and any francophone African country. Ongoing and future efforts include training of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals in district health centers in basic palliative care and collaborating with the Ministry of Health on strategic planning and development of a national palliative care policy.

Dr. Eric Krakauer (Director, HMS Program in Global Palliative Care) and
Dr. Egide Mpanumusingo, Co-Director, Butaro Hospital & Center of Excellence in Cancer Care, Partners In Health Rwanda and Dr. Eric Krakauer, Director, HMS Program in Global Palliative Care (back left) meet with community health workers at a community health center in Rwanda to discuss palliative home care.
Rwanda

Our partners in Rwanda are   the Rwanda Biomedical Center, the pioneering University of Global Health Equity , the University of Rwanda, and Butaro Hospital and Center of Excellence in Cancer Care. Our collaborative initiatives include helping Butaro Hospital to expand and strengthen its palliative care service, creating and implementing palliative care curricula for medical and nursing students and residents, and developing district palliative care netwroks throughout the country that will enable patients to receive palliative care in their communities and at home. 

China

We are collaborating with the Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) to establish and expand a Center for Palliative Care to serve the entire country. The long-term plans include strengthening the palliative care unit at PUMCH both to enhance patient care and to provide a palliative care clinical training site; providing basic and intermediate-level palliative care training for hospitals around the country; providing technical assistance for palliative care policy development; and performing research on the palliative care needs and relevant cultural values of Chinese patients.