Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network

28/12/2025

Anticipatory grief is the emotional journey that begins before a loss occurs — especially in the context of life-limiting illness. It can affect patients, families and caregivers in deep and complex ways, shaping how we cope, connect, and make meaning in the time we have. In this thoughtful piece, Sarah Vercoe explores the emotional landscapes of hope, fear, uncertainty and love — and offers insight into how we can better recognize and support each other through this process.

Read more and deepen your understanding here👇

Grief doesn’t always wait for death to arrive. It can begin quietly, unfolding in layers as we anticipate loss. When someone enters palliative care, gr

27/12/2025

The first national congress of PERDOPIN — the Indonesian Palliative Physicians Association — took place on 28–29 November, bringing together healthcare professionals from across the country for the first time to strengthen knowledge, build networks, and accelerate progress in palliative care practice. With a truly multidisciplinary programme and inspiring leadership, this gathering marked hope, unity and forward momentum for palliative care services in Indonesia.

Read more👇

  The first national congress of PERDOPIN—Perhimpunan Dokter Paliatif Indonesia (the Indonesian Palliative Physicians Association)—held on 28–29 N

26/12/2025

The Pediatric Palliative Care Leadership Workshop in Manila brought together healthcare professionals and advocates from across the Asia Pacific to strengthen leadership, collaboration, and capacity in children’s palliative care. Grounded in the WHO palliative care framework, the workshop created space for shared learning, practical discussions, and meaningful regional connections.

More than knowledge exchange, it was about building lasting partnerships to improve care for children with life-limiting conditions across diverse settings.

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  Authors: St. Jude Global Palliative Care Team and International Children’s Palliative Care Network   Somehow, a month has already passed

25/12/2025

Nepal’s 50,000+ Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs)—recently honored as WHO Public Health Champions—are now transforming rural palliative care. Through the Sunita Project, over 400 FCHVs were trained to identify patients in need, provide practical home-based care (like preventing bedsores), and offer vital emotional support to both patients and their families. By acting as a crucial link between remote communities and health services, these volunteers ensure that holistic, compassionate care reaches those who need it most.

Read more about their incredible impact👇

Nepal has made a remarkable achievement in improving the health of its population over 30 years. Maternal mortality rates fell from 901 per 100,000 live births

24/12/2025

We are deeply moved by the upcoming inauguration of "Nemmadi" (meaning Peace), a free-of-cost, 55-bed palliative care facility in Nelamangala, Bengaluru.

Founded by BS Nagarajan and supported by the Sukruthi Charitable Trust, this ₹20-crore project is a beautiful example of what happens when a community comes together. From the donation of 2 acres of land by former MLC E Krishnappa to the generosity of over 100 donors and the Rotary Bangalore Midtown, Nemmadi is built on the belief that everyone deserves to face their final journey with peace, comfort, and dignity—regardless of their financial means.

Read the full heart-warming story here👇

Bengaluru: A free-of-cost 55-bed palliative care facility in Nelamangala, on the city outskirts, will be inaugurated on Dec 21. Nemmadi (peace), built.

23/12/2025

A major milestone has been reached as the Palliative Care Association of Miri (PCAM) officially opens the tender for the construction of Miri’s first permanent palliative care centre.

For 20 years, PCAM has been a beacon of hope and compassion, providing essential home care and support to terminally ill patients and their families. This new permanent home—set to be built on a dedicated plot of land at the Miri By-pass—will allow the association to expand its vital services, including its daycare program and medical equipment loans, into a specialized hospice facility.

This project is a testament to the incredible support of donors, volunteers, and the Miri community who have walked this journey with PCAM since 2005.

Read the full story here 👇

MIRI (Dec 18): The Miri Palliative Care Association (PCAM) has taken a major step towards enhancing end-of-life care in the city with the announcement of an open tender for earthworks for a new palliative care centre, which will become Miri’s first permanent hospice. The announcement was made duri...

22/12/2025

The KK Women's and Children's Hospital Children’s Blood and Cancer Centre (KKH CBCC), Singapore, is pleased to announce the launch of its Clinical Fellowship in Paediatric Palliative Care. Applications for the first intake in July 2027 will open from 1 January to 1 June 2026.

This joint fellowship programme between KKH and HCA Hospice offers trainees exposure to diverse palliative care pathologies across hospital and community environments. Training includes inpatient rounds, multidisciplinary meetings, outpatient clinics, and home visits, whilst providing experience in clinical governance and team organisation in community-based care settings.

📄For details info on the programme, visit: https://www.kkh.com.sg/education/training-fellowships/medical/paediatric-medicine/paediatric-palliative-care

✏For application info, visit: https://www.kkh.com.sg/our-specialties/cbcc/Your_training/fellowships-observerships

21/12/2025

A recent report by The Malaysian Reserve highlights a critical challenge in Malaysia's healthcare system: late referrals and deep-seated misconceptions are preventing thousands from accessing essential palliative care.

Many still believe palliative care is only for the final days of life or that it means giving up hope. In reality: ✅ It is about quality of life and can be integrated early in a diagnosis. ✅ it supports both the patient and their family—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. ✅ It is for any serious illness, not just cancer.

Read the full article to understand how to bridge this gap👇

People often perceive palliative care as end-of-life care  by AZALEA AZUAR  MANY Malaysians still have limited understanding of what palliative care truly means.  A study conducted by Hospis Malaysia entitled Palliative Care Needs Assessment showed that more than 80% of respondents were either un...

20/12/2025

As we close out the year, the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network wishes you a joyful and well-deserved holiday season. May this time bring rest, happiness, and special moments shared with loved ones.

We look forward to continuing our work together in the year ahead 💚

19/12/2025

2025 has been a transformative year for the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN). From strengthening systems to expanding education, here’s a snapshot of our journey:

🔹 Lien Collaborative: 10 trips across 9 countries to build local palliative care capacity.
🔹 Advancing Education: Over 1,800 participants reached through 9 high-impact webinars.
🔹 Global Presence: Representing the region at major conferences
🔹 Support: 48 scholarships and bursaries awarded to ensure inclusive access to learning.

Thank you to our partners and members for your unwavering commitment to advancing palliative care across the Asia Pacific!

Read the full At a Glance report here👇

2025 was a year of deep engagement and purposeful growth for the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN). Across countries, disciplines, and platforms, APHN continued to strengthen palliative care […]

18/12/2025

Faced with a rising need for Paediatric Palliative Care (PPC) and low awareness in Bhutan, Nurse Karma Tshering at JDWNRH launched a pivotal project. Key achievements include training 36 health workers to address knowledge gaps, forming a PPC Core Team of nurses for unit-level coordination, and strengthening family support through emotional check-ins and financial aid.

They also successfully implemented bedside pain assessment tools to improve routine monitoring. This marks a vital first step, with plans underway to welcome a PPC physician and collaborate across the adult and community sectors to ensure comprehensive, family-centered care for every child.

Read more👇

  Author: Karma Tshering.   In Bhutan, paediatric palliative care (PPC) is still an emerging concept. Although adult palliative care was intr

17/12/2025

✨ Kick off our 2026 Webinar Series with us! ✨

Join us for the first session of the 2026 APHN Webinar Series on “Therapeutic Communication”—a core skill at the heart of compassionate palliative care.

🗓 19 January 2026 (Monday)
🕝 2:30–3:30 pm (Singapore Time)
💻 Live on Zoom | 1-hour session + Q&A

We are honoured to welcome Prof CHOW Y.M. Amy from the University of Hong Kong as our speaker for this session.

Whether you work directly with patients or support families and care teams, this webinar will offer valuable insights into meaningful and effective communication in care.

🔗 Register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/_a21TzaiQlaAa5512dKyrw