Videos

Pain Project

Posted by Greg Schneider on October 13, 2014 at 8:48am

Pain Project from UBCjournalism on Vimeo.

Views: 45
Get Embed Code
Tags: pain, project, india, pallium, morphine
The Pain Project is an ongoing investigation into the lack of access to morphine, the gold standard for treating pain. A team of students and faculty from the International Reporting Program at the University of British Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism traveled to India, Ukraine and Uganda to investigate how, faced with this lack of access, such countries manage the pain of patients suffering from cancer and other terminal diseases. The IRP, which began in 2008, is the result of a gift from Alison Lawton and Mindset Social Innovation Foundation and offers graduate students of the School an opportunity to tell stories of underreported issues around the world. The Pain Project includes a documentary for Al Jazeera, “Freedom from Pain,” which aired on July 20, 2011. Canadian broadcaster Global’s magazine program “16×9″ also featured a two-part series on the project, which aired in October, 2011. The IRP’s first documentary, “Ghana: Digital Dumping Ground,” was produced in partnership with PBS Frontline/WORLD and won the 2010 Emmy Award for Outstanding Magazine Investigative Reporting. Its second project, “Cheap Shrimp: Hidden Costs,” was an online multimedia project for The Globe and Mail and was nominated for a prestigious Online News Association Award. In the course of its investigation for the Pain Project, the IRP crew discovered that more than half the countries in the world have little to no access to morphine. After traveling to India, Ukraine and Uganda, its members then went to the United Nations to challenge diplomats on the blunt drug laws that curtail access to legitimate medical opiates. The executive director of the UN Office of Drug Crimes subsequently admitted on camera that the side effect of his work is that patients around the world suffer needlessly. The website includes a color-coded map that shows the scope of the problem. There are pages devoted to each of the countries visited by the IRP team, which include video sketches that showcase the stories of patients struggling with pain — and the caregivers who have gone up against intractable systems in order to help them. It also includes links to the documentary produced with Al Jazeera and the report prepared for the United Nations Conference on Non-Communicable Diseases, which is devoted to discussing the treatment of overlooked global diseases like cancer. A timeline on the history of morphine is provided as well. http://www.internationalreporting.org/morphine/

You need to be a member of Hospice Community Forum to add comments!

Join Hospice Community Forum

E-mail me when people leave their comments –
Follow

Related Videos
LIFE Before Death -- Finding a Balance
LIFE BEFORE DEATH #15 -- Nurse in the House
LIFE Before Death #5 -- What is Pain?
LIFE Before Death #3 -- Pain Pain Go Away
LIFE Before Death #2 -- Quality of Life
LIFE Before Death #1 -- Conspiracy of Silence
 

Blog Posts

CAREGIVERS STORE

Just Published!!
by Rashani Rea & Kathy Douglas

Those who companion suffering daily, such as hospice nurses and volunteers, will surely appreciate this beautiful work. With 62 original art collages by Rashani Réa, five beautiful chapters by Kathy Douglas, and a foreword by Jean Watson, this exquisite book is a peaceful refuge for contemplation, inquiry, reflection and inspiration for those who traverse the joys and sorrows of nursing.

Kathy Douglas, RN, MPH-HA is a nationally recognized nurse leader, filmmaker and entrepreneur. 

Rashani Réa is a prolific artist and musician, a creatrice of sanctuaries and a respected spiritual mentor.

“This is a beloved book and beyond a book. It is an evocative, poetic, ecstatic, and inspirited sacred, experiential calling. A calling to you--YES, YOU.” 

— Jean Watson, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN, Living Legend (AAN)

“Those who companion suffering daily need to turn inward to metabolize what they have witnessed. This exquisite book, filled with beautiful images and poetic wise words, is the inspiration and support needed to grow a wise heart.” 

— Frank Ostaseski, founder and director of the Metta Institute and author of The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully

“In this unique time of the COVID-19 pandemic, this book should be considered a tribute to the tremendous courage being displayed by nurses around the world. There is much wisdom conveyed throughout by those who have been there serving others with such grace.” 

— Greg Schneider President, HVA, co-author of The Changing Face of Hospice Volunteering in Hospice and Palliative Care 

Buy Now