General 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 Inclusivity, Relevance and Sustainability of palliative care.

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. 

The need for palliative care to become integrated into all healthcare systems in order to be widely available and fully sustainable in the future will be highlighted. 

Important dates for the conference

EventDate
Event media launch1 August 2022
Early Bird registration opens1 September 2022
Call for Abstracts1 September 2022
Abstract submission deadline1 November 2022
Standard registration opens1 February 2023
Pre-conference workshops26 April 2023
Main conference27 – 29 April 2023

Conference Committee Members

Organising Committee

Dr Margie Venter (Co-Chair)
Dr Julia Ambler (Co-Chair)
Dr Rene Krause (Vice Chair)

Dr Raksha Balbadhur
Sue Boucher
Maggie De Swardt
Andrew Francis
Terran Gericke
Joan Marston
Leigh Meinert
Dr Michelle Meiring
Dr Mpho Ratshikana
Tracy Rawlins
Ewa Skowronska








Scientific Committe
Paediatrics

Dr Michelle Meiring (Chair)
Joan Marston (Vice Chair)

Dr Ané  Buchner
Sue Boucher
Tracey Brand
Alex Daniels
Michelle Flowers
Dr Lyndal Gibbs
Dr Samantha Govender
Thaaniyah Gydien
Dr Teresa Jennings
Crystal Kleinhans
Prof Brenda Morrow

Dr Tracey Nupen
Tracy Rawlins
Dr Karl-Gunter Technau

Scientific Committee Adults

Dr Raksha Balbadur (Chair)
Dr Rene Krause (Vice Chair)

Dr Margie Venter
Dr Mpho Ratshikana
Michelle Damon
Prof Tania De Villers
Riccy Durrheim
Linda Greeff
Hilary Gray
Prof Liz Gwyther
Welly Hollander
Prof Holtzhauzen
Denise Huxam
Dr Jesne Kisten
Rebecca Lazarus
Dr Ronita Mahilall
Dr Jennie Morgan
Kerene Payne
Sonti Pilusa
Zodwa Sithole
Dr Mfanelo Sobekwa
Dr Ewa Skworonska
Gila Sowter
Dr Janet Stanford
Fran Tong
Ursula Torr
Dr Sonia Van Der Spuy
Dr Dalene Van Jaarsveld