The International Palliative Care Initiative.

This journal series describes the Open Society Foundation's International Palliative Care Initiative (IPCI) and the work of its national, regional, and international foundations and grantees to advance and develop palliative care globally. It provides examples of funding initiatives of IPCI honoring both grass roots and elite strategies of IPCI to integrate palliative care into national and international health policy based on a human rights approach.

Leadership Development Initiative: Growing Global Leaders… Advancing Palliative Care.

The International Palliative Care Leadership Development Initiative (LDI) was a model demonstration project that aimed to expand the global network of palliative care leaders in low- and moderate-resource countries who are well positioned to apply their new leadership skills. Thirty-nine palliative medicine physicians from 25 countries successfully completed the two-year curriculum that included three thematic residential courses, mentorship, and site visits by senior global palliative care leaders and personal projects to apply their new leadership skills. The focus on self-reflection, leadership behaviors and practices, strategic planning, high-level communication, and teaching skills led to significant personal and professional transformation among the participants, mentors, and the LDI team.

World Health Organization Public Health Model: A Roadmap for Palliative Care Development.

The Open Society Foundation's International Palliative Care Initiative (IPCI) began to support palliative care development in Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union in 1999. Twenty-five country representatives were invited to discuss the need for palliative care in their countries and to identify key areas that should be addressed to improve the care of adults and children with life-limiting illnesses. As a public health concern, progress in palliative care requires integration into health policy, education and training of health care professionals, availability of essential pain relieving medications, and health care services.