7TH CONGRESS OF THE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION
FOR PALLIATIVE CARE

Palermo, Sicily, April 1 - 5, 2001

This meeting is for social workers and others interested in developing social work within palliative care.

The meeting is to foster a sense of colleagueship and commonality amongst social workers in Europe - looking at similar problems and challenges and differences that range between the differing contexts and approaches. It will provide a good chance to learn from each other, with different ideas and approaches shared.

The previous meetings at other EAPC Congresses were informal but very supportive and people valued meeting across borders and
some good contacts have been established for ongoing work.

I do hope as many as possible will be able to come. Do let me know if you think you might be able to attend and I hope you will be
able to say something of social work in palliative care in your part of the world.

NB The meeting can be conducted in English and in French and in other languages, depending on participants present. However no translation will be available.

This programme is endorsed by the World Federation of Neurology. Federation members and all interested neurologists are encouraged to attend.

It is WFN policy that no member shall be denied access to a meeting by reason of their citizenship and that the language of the meeting should be clearly stated.

The International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) will present its strategy to help promote and develop palliative care throughout the world. Dr Eduardo Bruera, chairman, and Liliana De Lima, Executive Director of IAHPC will talk about the new plans for the organization and how IAHPC can help you.

The EAPC centre for support to palliative care in Eastern Europe.

EAPC has put the development of good palliative care in Eastern Europe as a top priority for the future. As a result, EAPC has recently established collaboration with the Eastern and Central Europe Palliative Task Force, ECEPT. Through a generous grant from the Open Society Institute, which is a George Soros Foundation, an EAPC coordination centre has recently been set up at Stockholms Sjukhem in Stockholm, Sweden. The first priority of the coordination centre is to survey palliative care needs in different countries. The centre will also survey the support and resources already available and try to coordinate these efforts by increasing awareness and knowledge of both needs and the actual support. Information and support of education are also major goals.

The centre is responsible to EAPC and will act as responsively as possible to proposals and suggestions communicated to us. We invite all those interested and working for the same general goals to contact us. We welcome your input!

The first opportunity to meet will be in Palermo, Monday April 2, at 12.30 - 14.20! We hope to see all of you who are engaged and interested!

The centre is locally supported by Stockholms Sjukhem Foundation in Stockholm and is also linked to the Karolinska Institutet. Stockholms Sjukhem has a comprehensive palliative care service and is a growing and dynamic centre for education and research.

Round Table: PALLIATIVE CARE: ARE THEY USEFUL TO NEUROLOGICAL PATIENTS?

Participants:

For the Study Group "Ethics and Palliative Care in Neurology"
R. Causarano, Milano
V. Bonito, Bergamo
M. Rizzo, Palermo

For the Medicine and Palliative Care Italian School (SIMPA)
M. Gallucci, Desio

For the European Group for Neurology and Palliative Care
G.D. Borasio, Monaco di Baviera

Per the AGC Association
E. Vitti, Milano

** Simultaneous Translation will be provided from English - French and English - Italian - English.