OMI MEX Concludes 2025 with Palliative Care

Across Latin America, access to palliative care remains limited. According to the recent Atlas of Palliative Care in the Americas, roughly 3 million people in the Americas require palliative care each year, but only a handful of countries include it as a guaranteed service in primary care. In many parts of the region, services are concentrated in big cities, with rural areas and smaller communities often left without options.

Committed to building capacity in Latin America was course director Dr. Judith Paice, Director of the Cancer Pain Program and Professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Paice was joined by faculty who had already participated in the 2024 OMI Salzburg course: Carrie Cormack, Patrick Coyne, and Sarah Lowry.

Bringing experienced professionals to Latin America is especially relevant because, across the region, palliative care remains neglected within many health-care systems. Formal training is often scarce, pharmacological and hospice resources are uneven, and end-of-life care tends to leave many patients without support.

As stated by Dr. Paice, the seminar followed the international model used by the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC). Through lectures, group discussions, practical exercises, and networking, fellows and faculty exchanged knowledge and experiences. Topics spanned defining palliative care and hospice, managing pain and symptoms, and learning communication strategies with patients, families, and loved ones at each stage of illness. Recognizing the role of ethics and culture, the schedule brought discussions on issues specific to Latin American contexts. Sessions on Loss, Grief and Bereavement and on Self‑Care reinforced the importance of supporting health‑care professionals themselves, acknowledging the emotional toll of caring for seriously ill patients.

One of the fellows, Margaret Bernard from Belize, shared her view on end-of-life-care:

“I believe that palliative care is a basic human right. As palliative care professionals, we want to learn as much as we can to do better for our patients facing challenging times.”

Reflecting on the seminar, Dr. Paice described it as “an extraordinary learning experience for both fellows and faculty. Despite challenges in their respective healthcare settings, the fellows demonstrated exceptional dedication and willingness to learn. A commitment that, now supported by new tools and networks, will help advance palliative care across Latin America.”

We extend our gratitude to all faculty for their generous support and guidance. There could not have been a more fitting way to close OMI MEX 2025. We look ahead to 2026 ready to deepen our impact on Latin American healthcare.