Launch Of The ICPCN Charter Of Rights For Life Limited Children

Main Category: Palliative Care / Hospice Care
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 10 Oct 2008 - 1:00 PST

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The International Children's Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) launches its International Charter of Rights for Children with Life Limiting and Life Threatening Illnesses,

The International Children's Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) has published a Charter of Rights for children with life-limiting or life threatening conditions, which they wish to see accepted and ratified by governments and health departments around the world.

The ICPCN Charter is to be launched to coincide with World Hospice and Palliative Care Day on 11 October 2008. The theme of this day is "Palliative Care - A Human Right".

According to the United Nations Convention on the rights of the child, every child and young person has the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health. Governments are also required to do everything in their power to ensure that they enjoy full and holistic development. Children have the right to be protected against abuse, neglect and all forms of ill-treatment.

In the spirit of the UN Convention, the ICPCN Charter sets out the international standard of support that is the right of all children living with life limiting and life threatening illnesses worldwide, and their families.

The Charter calls for all such children to receive appropriate palliative care - care whose main purpose is to relieve suffering, whether physical, spiritual or emotional, and to promote quality of life.

"A child who dies without receiving adequate pain control and symptom management has suffered abuse and an untreated HIV positive child is suffering neglect," according to Joan Marston, chair of the ICPCN.

Palliative care encompasses the entire family. It should begin at the time of diagnosis and continue alongside any curative treatment aimed at the disease. Should curative treatment fail, it is maintained through death and into bereavement for as long as it is needed.

The Charter calls for palliative care to be provided within the child's home or within an environment that is child-friendly. This care should be offered by professionals and caregivers who have undergone training in palliative care specific to the needs of children.

"Our fervent wish is that this Charter will prove to be a useful instrument for all those who campaign for the development of, or for improved hospice and palliative care services for children around the world," states Marston.

To date the ICPCN Charter has been translated into 17 different African and European languages which can be downloaded from the website at www.icpcn.org.uk

The ICPCN

The International Children's Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) was formed in 2005 with a vision to achieve worldwide the best quality of life and care for children and young people with life limiting illnesses, their families and carers, through networking, advocacy, information sharing, education and research.

It is co-ordinated from within South Africa and chaired by Joan Marston, who works for the Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa as the Paediatric Palliative Care Manager.

The network is headed by a Steering Group consisting of paediatricians and other recognised leaders in paediatric palliative care from around the world and to date has a membership of 133 paediatric palliative care organisations and 174 individuals representing 31 countries.

It has become an acknowledged authority on issues relating to palliative care for children and young people and has made representation to the United Nations on related issues.

The ICPCN Charter has used the tenets of the ACT Charter to create a Charter that can be applied internationally in both developed and developing countries.

The Association for Children's Palliative Care (ACT)

The Association for Children's Palliative Care (ACT) is a UK-registered charity which is striving to achieve the best quality of life and care for all children and young people with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions and their families.

International Children's Palliative Care Network