Special Announcement: GLAD Program

The International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) is pleased to announce the Global Leaders in the Advancement and Development of Palliative Care (GLAD) Program.

The GLAD program is designed to support palliative care workers from any discipline, who have demonstrated leadership capabilities, and who wish to advance palliative care in their own countries in line with United Nations (UN) Organizations resolutions and commitments and builds on the Leadership Development Initiative (LDI) to increase global palliative care capacity. The program was designed by a working group of IAHPC board members and officers, including Dingle Spence, Gulnara Kunirova, Harmala Gupta, Mary Callaway, Liliana De Lima, Katherine Pettus, Genevieve Napier, and external advisers Frank Ferris and Shannon Moore.

The GLAD program aligns with the Advocacy thematic areas of work identified in the IAHPC 2020-2024 Strategic Plan. This calls for the integration of palliative care into primary health care, within the spectrum of universal health coverage, and for improved access to essential palliative care medications. The program falls under the Strategic Objective 1.2: “To develop a global cadre of IAHPC members to advocate for improved access to essential palliative care medicines at national, regional and global levels.”

Applicants will be required to complete an online application and present a project proposal focusing on the implementation in their country of the provisions in one or more of the following Conventions/Resolutions:

1. Organization of American States: Inter-American Convention on Protecting the Human Rights of Older Persons (A-70) (2015). Washington, DC (for applicants residing in Latin American and the Caribbean).

2. UN. Political Declaration on Universal Health Coverage, 2019. NY.

3. UN. Chapter Two of the Outcome Document of the 2016 United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem. 

4. UN. CND resolution EC/CN.7/2020/L4/Rev. 1 Promoting awareness-raising, education and training as part of a comprehensive approach to ensuring access to and the availability of controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes and improving their rational use

5. World Health Organization: Astana Declaration on Primary Health Care, 2018.

6. World Health Assembly. Strengthening of PC as a component of comprehensive care throughout the life course, Resolution 67/19. Geneva, 2014.

7. Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

8. World Health Assembly  Covid-19 Response Resolution. Resolution 73/1. Geneva, 2020.

Project proposals may relate to:

• improving availability of, access to, and affordability of essential palliative care medicines in the public system;

• inclusion of palliative care in clinical education curricula;

• service implementation for marginalized populations, and/or 

• policy and budget development at the national level. 

Selected applicants will be provided US $3,000 stipend for the first year with another amount (not exceeding US $3,000) to be determined for the second year, for travel to a UN organization meeting as part of the IAHPC delegation, depending on pandemic related travel restrictions. Selected leaders will be required to develop, implement, and report on project progress during the two-year term.

Candidates wishing to apply for the GLAD program must meet the following criteria:

• Have been an IAHPC member for two consecutive years at the time of the application. Note: Selected candidates must retain their IAHPC membership throughout the period of the project. 

• Have demonstrated leadership skills and capabilities and be recognized as leaders in palliative care in their respective countries.

• Be dedicated full-time to palliative care. Note: Applicants holding more than one part-time position in palliative care may qualify if the sum of their hours equal to a full-time position.

• Be a current member of their national palliative care association (if there is one legally formed and active).

• Have taken the online IAHPC Basic Advocacy course.

• Have (at least) intermediate level English writing skills and basic level verbal skills. A free written test will be provided, and candidates will be required to provide their score.

• Have access to Internet broadband and be able to use Zoom or Skype.

• Depending on the travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, candidates should be able to travel and actively participate as a member of the IAHPC delegation in one meeting of a UN organization (the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, the World Health Assembly and World Health Organization in Geneva, or the UN Headquarters in New York). Candidates should have a valid passport and any other documents needed to travel. Otherwise, and if the meeting is held virtually, the candidate will be required to participate virtually.

• Have a letter of support from the candidate’s direct supervisor stating that if selected, the institution supports the candidate’s participation and allows time for the completion of tasks. 

• Be willing and available to have virtual meeting with a member of the working group.

Preference will be given to candidates:

• Whose institution is a current IAHPC member.

Deadline to apply is August 31st, 2020.

Leaders will be announced the first week of November 2020.

To receive additional information on the GLAD program, obtain the link to the GLAD program application and a listing of the required materials, please contact Genevieve Napier, IAHPC Programs Officer.

To learn more, visit the GLAD Program page.