Global network of specialists participates in international palliative care collaborative in Benalmádena

The Cudeca Institute for Palliative Care Studies and Research hosted the 2026 edition of the International Collaborative for Best Care for the Dying Person Summer School on Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 May.

Recognised as one of the most significant international scientific gatherings dedicated to improving care during the final days of life, this initiative was founded in 2014 and involves a global network of clinicians and researchers working collectively towards a shared vision - “a world in which all people experience a good death as an integral part of their individual life, supported by the best personalised care”.

Held at the Yusuf Hamied research centre in Benalmádena, the initiative had the participation of some of the most influential international voices in palliative care, including Professor John Ellershaw from the University of Liverpool, the founding Chair of the International Collaborative for Best Care for the Dying Person and one of the world’s leading authorities on improving end-of-life care. Others that took part were Professor Agnes van der Heide from Erasmus University Rotterdam, a prominent European researcher involved in international initiatives; Professor Naveen Salins, Director of Research at Manipal Academy of Higher Education in India and a specialist in palliative care within highly complex healthcare environments; and Professor Carl Johan Fürst from Lund University, a distinguished clinical and academic researcher.

The opening ceremony was chaired by Dr Yusuf Hamied, a benefactor of Cudeca whose mission focuses on advancing education, research and global access to scientific and healthcare knowledge, with a particular emphasis on palliative care.

The programme was structured around three main thematic areas, with plenary sessions and parallel workshops. These included the 10/40 Model for the best end-of-life care, a continuous quality improvement programme that transforms end-of-life care in clinical settings in a measurable and sustainable way; sessions dedicated to the iLIVE project (EU Horizon 2020) focusing on international benchmarking in palliative care, a serious illness conversation programme and the development of an international biobank; and finally, workshops on the involvement of bereaved family members to enhance care quality, the development of volunteering services and approaches to contemporary ethical issues.