It is gratifying to note the geographically broad interest this event aroused: 122 unique viewers from 41 countries - Europe and Asia and North and South America, Africa, and Australia. There were much positive feedback and words of support from the audience. Therefore discussion will be continued at the Round Table “Organisation of Palliative Care in Post-Soviet Countries” at the Association's annual conference on November 2-3.

The leading experts in palliative care delivered a welcoming speech at the session:

• Stephen Connor, Executive Director, Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance

• Diana Nevzorova, Chief Specialist on palliative care of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Board of the Hospice Care Professionals Association, Director of Scientific and Practical Center for Palliative Care, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University

• Julie Ling, Chief Executive Officer of the European Association for Palliative Care

• Eric Krakauer, Director, Global Palliative Care Program / Physician, Division of Palliative Care & Geriatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Assoc Professor of Medicine and of Global Health & Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School

• Sophia Michaelson, Executive Director, American Eurasian Cancer Alliance, Fox Chase Cancer Center

Leading experts in palliative and hospice care from Russia spoke at the session:

Diana Nevzorova, Helena Polevichenko (MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Oncology, Hematology and Radiation Therapy of Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Chief specialist on paediatric palliative care, Ministry of Health of Russian Federation, member of the Board of the Hospice Care Professionals Association), Guzel Abuzarova (MD, PhD, Head of Palliative Care Center, P. Hertsen Moscow Oncology Research Institute, Expert, Scientific and Practical Center for Palliative Care, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, member of the Board of the Hospice Care Professionals Association), Olga Osetrova (MD, Head of the Autonomous Non-Profit Organization "Samara Hospice", member of the Board of the Hospice Care Professionals Association, Chief Specialist on palliative care of the Volga Federal District, member of the Board of the Hospice Care Professionals Association), Alexander Sidorov (MD, PhD, Head of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Technology Department, Yaroslavl' State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia, Senior Researcher, Scientific and Practical Center for Palliative Care, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University), as well as CIS colleagues:

• Olga Mychko, Republic of Belarus, Head of the Department of Planning and Organization of Palliative Care, State Institution “N. N. Alexandrov National Cancer Centre Of Belarus”, chief specialist of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus for palliative care

• Natalia Carafizi, Republic of Moldova, Executive Director, Foundation "Hospice Angelus Moldova"

• Gulnara Kunirova, Republic of Kazakhstan, President of the Kazakhstan Association for Palliative Care, Member of the Board of Directors of the IAHPC, Executive Director of the “Together Against Cancer” Foundation

• Zafar Huseinov, Republic of Tajikistan, MD, PhD, Professor, Chief Oncologist of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Republic of Tajikistan, Director of the Republican Cancer Research Center of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Republic of Tajikistan

The experts discussed CIS countries’ health policies in education and research on palliative and hospice care and the country’s professional communities’ functioning. The meeting resulted in the adoption of the Session Declaration, in which symposium participants called for concerted efforts to develop mutually beneficial training programs, strategic planning of clinical services, research and clinical guideline collaborations, and scientific conferences for PC clinicians from CIS countries. Full text of the Declaration is available HERE.

The recording of the Session can be viewed HERE.

Hospice Care Professionals Association organised the event in cooperation with the Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance, the American Eurasian Cancer Alliance (AECA), with the support of the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC).