Conference Information
Who should attend this conference?
You should attend this conference because palliative care is everyone’s business!
The conference organisers welcome anyone from any healthcare or allied professions, including students and professional volunteers, caring for people of all ages living with serious, life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses and their families.
What is palliative care?
Palliative care is the physical, psychological, social and
spiritual care provided by a multi-disciplinary team of experts to anyone with
a life-threatening illness and their families. Care is offered from the point
of diagnosis and extends to bereavement support if needed. It is an extra layer
of support that can be provided alongside disease-directed treatment.
The
consensus-based definition of palliative care, published in 2019 by the
International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC), states that:
“Palliative care is the active holistic care of individuals
across all ages with serious health-related suffering due to severe illness,
and especially of those near the end of life. It aims to improve the quality of
life of patients, their families and their caregivers.”
Read the
full definition here.
What will be on the conference programme?
The abstract-driven programme will track our conference themes about how we collectively advance the palliative care agenda in South Africa. It will call for a revolution in thinking from the present status quo, look back on how the palliative care sector has effectively evolved to better serve diverse communities and illuminate innovative solutions in overcoming barriers to provision.
Various conference tracks will focus on how to assess and manage appropriate clinical, spiritual and psychosocial problems relevant to the needs across all diseases, ages and population groups, following best practice. One of the three parallel tracks throughout the conference will focus on topics relevant to paediatric palliative care.
The need for palliative care to become integrated into all healthcare systems in order to be widely available and fully sustainable in the future for people of all ages, will be highlighted.
Important dates for the conference
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Event media launch | 1 August 2024 |
| Early Bird registration opens | 15 August 2024 |
| Call for Abstracts Opens | 1 September 2024 |
| Abstract submission deadline | 16 February 2025 |
| Standard registration opens | 1 March 2025 |
| Pre-conference workshops | 18 June 2025 |
| Main conference | 19 – 21 June 2025 |
Conference Committee Members
Organising Committee
Dr Jesne Kistan (Chair)
Warren Oxford-Huggett
Dr Margie Venter
Dr Julia Ambler
Cathy Hugo
Sue Boucher
Tracy Rawlins
Sentebaleng Mampane-Seitshiro
Mandy Shrimpton
Dr Mfanelo Sobekwa
Lawrence Mandikiyana
Scientific Committe
Paediatrics
Tracey Brand (Co-Chair)
Dr Samantha Govender (Co-Chair)
Dr Michelle Meiring
Dr Yasmin Goga
Sue Boucher
Tracy Rawlins
Dr Nicky Brown
Scientific Committee Adults
Dr Thilo Govender (Co-Chair)
Dr Colleen Cox (Co-Chair)
Dr Jesne Kistan
Tersia Burger
Hanneke Lubbe
Dr Welly den Hollander
Dr Thamba Khangale
Conference Organisers
The 2025 Palliative Care Conference is being organised by Southern Cross Conferences and Events.
Conference Ts & Cs and Privacy Policy
Please read and download the 2025 SA Palliative Care Conference Website’s Terms & Conditions and our Privacy policy using the links below.
Palliative Care Conference Terms & Conditions
Palliative Care Conference Ts&Cs