On Friday 24th and Saturday 25th May, in the Main Hall of building H3, The University of Trieste will host the international conference ‘Overcoming barriers and borders in palliative care: 100-UniTs of opportunities’, promoted by the Italian Society of Palliative Care (SICP), in collaboration with the University of Trieste and the Central European Initiative (CEI).
The event will officially open on Friday 24th May, at 9:30, with the institutional greetings of UniTS Rector Roberto Di Lenarda.
The conference will host researchers and doctors specialising in palliative care from Central and Eastern European countries to exchange experiences and best practices, to implement services, and to strengthen collaboration between the ‘Alps-Adriatic Region and the Western Balkans’ on an institutional and educational level.
Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families through the prevention and relief of suffering. It represents an increasingly important issue of ethical responsibility for health care systems due to the ageing population and the increasing number of patients living with chronic and degenerative diseases.
Globally, it is estimated that only 14% of patients currently receive palliative care.
The University of Trieste has been committed to training for some time, having launched teaching modules dedicated to palliative care within the Master’s Degree in Medicine and Surgery and the Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. 
UniTS is also among the first Italian universities to have established a School of Specialisation in Palliative Care.
The scientific committee of the international conference is coordinated by Dr. Raffaella Antonione, head of the Complex Structure of Palliative Care and Hospice Network of the local health care service (ASUGI) and teacher at the University of Trieste.