Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network

14/06/2026

📢 CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: Share Your Expertise at APHC27OPCC! 📢

Abstract submissions are now OPEN for the Asia Pacific Hospice & Oceanic Palliative Care Conference 2027.

We’re inviting submissions that highlight real-world insights, new ideas, and diverse perspectives in palliative care.

This is your chance to:
• Share your work and experiences with peers in a supportive environment
• Influence policy and practice
• Connect with peers and leaders across the region

Under the theme “Stronger Together: Humanity at the Heart of Palliative Care”, we’re looking for submissions that explores dignity, relationships, and shared humanity while navigating complex and changing health and care systems.

⚠️ Deadline: 10 August 2026

Submit your abstract today 👉 https://aphc27opcc.com/abstract-submission/

13/06/2026

Seeking Expert Guidance for Your Palliative Care Research? 🩺

Are you currently working on a research project in palliative care? Our APHN Research Committee is here to help you move from concept to impact.

We are opening up opportunities for researchers to collaborate with our expert committee of clinicians. We provide the mentorship, networking, and strategic advice you need to strengthen your proposals and expand your reach.

🤝Ready to collaborate? Learn more and submit your proposal here: https://aphn.org/research-collaboration-request/

12/06/2026

The Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network mourns the passing of Gretchen Irvine, who passed away peacefully on 10 June 2026.

We came to know Gretchen through our valued partnership with Palliative Care Australia, and she quickly became a cherished collaborator and friend to many in our community. Her generosity in sharing knowledge and resources made a quiet but lasting difference to our work across the region.

Gretchen's contributions to the planning of APHC27OPCC stood as a testament to her deep commitment to advancing palliative care — not just within Australia, but across the Asia Pacific. She brought dedication, warmth, and a spirit of genuine partnership to everything she touched.

Her loss is felt deeply by all who had the privilege of working alongside her. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues at Palliative Care Australia.

May she rest in peace, and may her contributions to compassionate care continue to inspire the work we carry forward in her memory🤍

The Palliative Care Australia Board and staff are deeply saddened by the passing of our valued colleague and friend Gretchen Irvine.

The palliative care community has lost a passionate, widely admired and formidable advocate. Gretchen made an enormous contribution to palliative care advocacy over many years, selflessly giving her time, expertise and energy until her passing to raise awareness of what people with life-limiting conditions need to live as well as possible for as long as possible.

From the point she was diagnosed in January, Gretchen’s instinct was to think of ways her story could be used to help others better understand what palliative care is, how it can help, and the importance of having open conversations about how to live well and plan for a good death.

Always with her sharp sense of humour, Gretchen continued sharing her opinions, guidance and ideas with PCA for her beloved conference. We will honour her and aim to do her work justice.

Every member of the PCA Board and staff sends their love, care and deepest sympathies to Gretchen’s loved ones. We particularly acknowledge Gretchen’s children Rory, Claire and Rosemary, and their partners, and her sister Bronwen for their incredible care and support for Gretchen throughout her illness.

Rest in peace Gretchen – all our love.

Palliative Care Australia

11/06/2026

Who speaks for someone who cannot speak for themselves at the end of life?

For people with intellectual disabilities, this question exposes a system full of gaps: families making impossible decisions alone, medical teams navigating legal grey areas without support, and patients whose distress goes unrecognised and unmet.

Frontline professionals in Taiwan share what they've witnessed — and what needs to change. A vital and challenging read for anyone working in palliative, disability, or aged care.

🔗 Click the link below to read the full article.

At the end of life, people with intellectual disabilities are often unable to express their needs because of limited communication abilities, while systemic gaps further deprive them of meaningful choices about how they wish to spend their final days. Families bear the long-term pressures of caregiv...

10/06/2026

🌍 Have you registered yet?

On 18 June, ICPCN - International Children's Palliative Care Network will launch hashtag : Palliative Care for Children Everywhere, a new global campaign focused on tackling the inequities that leave millions of children without access to the palliative care they need.

Join them to learn more about the campaign, hear why children's palliative care is a global health priority, and explore how everyone can work together to ensure every child and family receives the support they deserve. This campaign brings together global partners, advocates, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to drive meaningful change and expand access to palliative care worldwide.

📅 18 June 2026
⌛ 1:00–2:30 PM (UK)
🔗Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uQ4JJN_RRvqX_tBXlw4IQA #/registration

09/06/2026

📣The 9th Public Health Palliative Care International Conference (PHPCI 2026) held in Taiwan from 6-9 October 2026 will be extending their abstract submission deadline to 15 June 2026!

🔗Submit your abstract here: https://www.phpci2026.tw/site/order/1674/login_ra.aspx?sid=1674&lang=en

安寧照顧基金會

09/06/2026

Thinking of submitting an abstract for but not sure where to start? 🤔

The APHC27OPCC Abstract Mentoring Program is here to support you!

Whether you're a first-time abstract author, an early-career researcher, clinician, educator, or practitioner with a valuable story to share, this program connects you with experienced mentors who can provide guidance and feedback to help strengthen your submission.

The mentoring period runs 25 May to 3 August 2026.

Apply now — your perspective matters, and this program exists to help you share it: https://aphc27opcc.com/abstract-mentoring-program/

08/06/2026

📢 Just 2 weeks to go! Don't miss our webinar on Palliative Care in Chronic Kidney Disease, featuring experts from Australia and Samoa.

🔗 Register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/T9PU36QTR8uxqz9EJAI-jQ

Discover how palliative care can improve quality of life for people living with chronic kidney disease and how kidney supportive care is being advanced across diverse healthcare settings.

🗓 22 June 2026 (Monday)
🕝 2:30–4:00 pm (Singapore Time)
💻 Live on Zoom + Q&A

07/06/2026

Aged care staff know that end-of-life conversations matter. Many just don't feel equipped to start them.

A new study from Flinders University researchers found that while staff are committed to engaging families early, barriers around confidence, role clarity, and timing often get in the way. Experienced nurses tend to lead these conversations — leaving a significant gap across the rest of the workforce.

With new Federal Government investment in aged care announced in the May 2026 Budget, the findings couldn't be more timely: translating funding into better care depends on what happens at the front line, in every service, every day.

📖 Click the link below to read the full article

Demands are increasing for aged care staff to play a crucial role in guiding end-of-life conversations with families, yet many staff feel under-prepared to initiate such […]

06/06/2026

What does it take to lead in palliative care?

Eight clinicians from across Asia Pacific came together as the second cohort of the Cynthia Goh Fellowship — strangers at first, united by a shared calling. Through coaching, self-reflection, and two days of working together in Singapore, they discovered something that no textbook teaches: meaningful leadership begins with knowing who you are and why you do what you do.

A warm and honest reflection from two fellows on growth, connection, and shared purpose.

📖 Click the link below to read the full article

Leadership is a journey, and for emerging leaders in palliative care, it can sometimes feel daunting to face the responsibilities required to advance the field in our own spheres of […]