From the President’s Desk
Dear All,
I am once again happy to connect with you through the July 2025 edition of the IAPC newsletter.
The Indian Association of Palliative Care is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives in the air crash that occurred on 12th June 2025. As the incident took place in Ahmedabad, where the IAPC is based, the shock and grief are deeply felt within our community. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones. We also express our sincere gratitude to the first responders for their dedication and courage during this difficult time. Let us continue to support one another with compassion, empathy, and strength, through our thoughts, prayers, and acts of kindness.
IAPC continues to march ahead with its vision and mission, focusing on awareness, education and training, and advocacy. Several training programs across various specialities are progressing as planned and have seen enthusiastic participation from across the country. The Academy of Palliative Medicine (APM) is playing a pivotal role in strengthening the training of doctors and nurses. APM recently completed the first batch of the Certificate Course in Basics of Palliative Care and has announced the list of successful candidates. The second cohort of this course has now been launched. In addition, two cohorts of the Advanced Nursing Skills in Palliative Care course have been successfully completed, and preparations are underway for the third cohort, which is set to begin in August 2025. APM is also leading several other educational initiatives, with a special focus on Geriatrics, Nephrology, and the training of postgraduate and undergraduate medical professionals. Please visit APM website for more details.
Meanwhile, various states have initiated Training of Trainers (ToT) programs and training sessions for doctors and nurses under the National Program for Palliative Care (NPPC). Notably, Tripura and Jodhpur conducted such trainings in the past month. The IAPC extended its support by providing expert faculty for the ToT workshop titled “Compassion in Practice: Workshop on Palliative Care”, held in Jodhpur between 21st and 23rd June, 2025
Looking ahead, IAPC is preparing to commemorate World Hospice and Palliative Care Day on Saturday, 11th October 2025. This year’s theme is “Achieving the Promise: Universal Access to Palliative Care.” To introduce this important theme, we are honoured to feature a special article by Dr. Stephen Connor (Executive Director, Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance) in this July 2025 edition of the newsletter. IAPC will continue to publish a series of theme-based articles every month leading up to October 2025, highlighting various dimensions of this global movement. I am confident that these contributions will be valuable to all our readers.
We are extremely delighted to share the achievements of the members of our palliative care community. Dr. Anuja Damani, one of the first MD Palliative Medicine graduates in the country, has been promoted as Professor and Unit head at the Department of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal. We extend our heartfelt congratulations and wish her every success in this new and significant role. We are also proud to share that Dr. Praneeth Suvvari, (Consultant, Department of Pain and Palliative Medicine, Basavatarakam Indo American Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana) has been conferred the International Development and Education Award in Palliative Care (IDEA-PC) for 2025 by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The award was presented during the 61st ASCO Annual Meeting held in Chicago, USA, on Friday, 30th May 2025. This is a remarkable recognition of Dr. Suvvari’s contribution to the field. Additionally, Dr. Raghu Thota, Interim Secretary of IAPC, represented the association at the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) conference held in Seattle, USA, further strengthening our global engagement. The achievements of other members and organisations have been included in the awards section of the newsletter. We celebrate these accomplishments of all our members and look forward to many more milestones from the Indian palliative care fraternity.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the contributors of the July 2025 edition of our newsletter. I encourage you to explore the latest announcements, reports, and exclusive articles featured in this issue.
Preparations for IAPCON 2026, to be held in Hyderabad, are well underway. I urge all of you to register early and contribute to making the conference a resounding success.
Warm regards.
Dr. Geeta Joshi
President, IAPC