Celebrating Compassion - Global Partners In Care

GPIC Partners Unite for World Hospice and Palliative Care Day and the Hats for Hope Campaign

Every year, World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD) unites the global community to champion universal access to palliative care. The 2025 theme, ”Achieving the Promise: Universal Access to Palliative Care,” calls on all stakeholders – governments, advocates, communities and families—to turn this promise into action. This year, a remarkable range of events and voices rose up around the world, each contributing to the shared movement toward equity, dignity and care for all who face serious illness.

In South Africa, Palliative Care for Children South Africa (PatchSA) and Umduduzi Hospice Care for Children led a 5-kilometer fun walk along the Durban beachfront, encouraging participants to wear hats in solidarity with children needing palliative care.

KEHPCA staff walk in solidarity to advocate for palliative care in Kenya (photo courtesy of KEHPCA Facebook page)

The Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association (KEHPCA) marked WHPCD 2025 with an awareness walk through Embu County, hosted by the Ministry of Health – Healthy Aging, Palliative Care and Older Persons (HapCop) Division. This first-ever regional WHPCD walk highlighted the importance of community-based awareness and uniting local leaders, health professionals, and advocates in fighting for compassionate care for all.

In India, Pallium India commemorated WHPCD through a series of community events, patient engagement activities and educational programs that reinforced their mission to make palliative care accessible across the country. Their initiatives emphasized training, awareness and advocacy for policy-level change. This promise of universal access must translate into tangible care for those affected.

The PallCHASE network is hosting a webinar on October 22^nd and 23^rd uniting global palliative care experts to discuss strategies for expanding access in low-resource settings and humanitarian contexts. Similarly, the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN) organized multiple regional events, as highlighted on their 2025 WHPCD page, including community walks, educational webinars, and advocacy campaigns across Asia.

On the second Friday of October, the world celebrated #HatsOn4CPC Day, a companion campaign focused on raising awareness for children’s palliative care (CPC). Coordinated globally by the International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN), the campaign invited participants everywhere to “put their hats on” for CPC—showing solidarity, hope, and compassion for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions. Across regions, hospitals, schools, and community organizations joined in by sharing photos, stories, and celebrations online, reinforcing a simple yet powerful message: that every child deserves access to care that relieves suffering and upholds dignity.

PatchSA and Umduduzi fun walk in South Africa (photo courtesy of PatchSA Facebook page)

The GPIC team showing their support for children’s palliative care #HatsOn4CPC

Ultimately, World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2025 demonstrated the creativity and resilience of the global palliative care community. Achieving universal access requires collaboration between all stakeholders and it requires the belief that quality palliative care isn’t a privilege, but a human right for everyone.