Abstract
The 3rd Uganda Conference on Cancer and Palliative Care was held in September 2021 with the theme: cancer and palliative care in COVID-19 and other challenging situations. It was hosted by the Uganda Cancer Institute and the Palliative Care Association of Uganda (UCI-PCAU). The conference was held virtually, with a mix of pre-recorded sessions, plenary sessions being broadcast live on television (TV) by the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation TV, live speakers at the studio and others presenting in real time via Zoom. The conference brought together >350 participants who participated on Zoom, along with those attending in person at the studio and those watching the plenary sessions on TV. At the heart of this joint UCI-PCAU conference was the commitment to not only continue but to improve the provision of cancer care and palliative care within Uganda. Key themes from the conference included: the importance of Universal Health Coverage; the impact of COVID-19 on the provision of cancer and palliative care; that both cancer care and palliative care are available in Uganda; education for all; the importance of working together to provide care and overcome challenges, e.g. through technology; the resilience shown by those working in cancer and palliative care; the grief experienced by so many people who have lost loved ones during the pandemic; the importance of good health seeking behaviour – prevention is better than cure; the challenge of funding; the need for health care equity for marginalised and vulnerable populations and finally we can’t wait for the world to stop COVID-19 – COVID-19 is here to stay – we need to find solutions. The last few years have seen significant challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, despite this, cancer and palliative care service provision has continued. This conference, whilst unique and very different from previous conferences, was a great opportunity to share not only amongst each other, but also to share key messages with the public through the live broadcasting of the plenary sessions of the conference.
Highlights
Being prepared and responding well to a global pandemic is essential in order to manage the pandemic, but ensure that existing health services, such as cancer care and palliative care, can continue throughout the pandemic
Alongside the challenges of not having access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and the increased cost of living, health and social care professionals have found it hard getting to work, providing care, caring for their families and staying safe. It is within this context that cancer and palliative care services have been provided during the pandemic, and it is within this context that participants gathered virtually at the 3rd Uganda Conference on Cancer and Palliative Care
COVID-19 threatens to reverse the gain that Uganda has made on childhood cancer – Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) saw 25% of the 1,000 children that they expected, and the majority of those were in the advanced stages of disease with poor adherence to treatment exacerbated by lockdown restrictions
Summary
Being prepared and responding well to a global pandemic is essential in order to manage the pandemic, but ensure that existing health services, such as cancer care and palliative care, can continue throughout the pandemic. Alongside the challenges of not having access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and the increased cost of living, health and social care professionals have found it hard getting to work, providing care, caring for their families and staying safe It is within this context that cancer and palliative care services have been provided during the pandemic, and it is within this context that participants gathered virtually at the 3rd Uganda Conference on Cancer and Palliative Care. The government works in partnership with both palliative care and cancer care and has seen the UCI develop as a centre of excellence in care, research and training He stated, on behalf of the Minister of Health that the Government of Uganda is committed to increasing access to quality cancer and palliative care for all its citizens throughout the country. The conference was organised into four main tracks as follows:
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