Experts from across Europe gathered in Prague to shape the future of paediatric palliative care education.
How can knowledge about paediatric palliative care reach as many professionals as possible? With that question in mind, experts from several European countries gathered in Prague in early February 2026 for the first meeting of EPEC Paediatrics Europe. The EPEC programme (Education in Palliative and End-of-life Care for Paediatrics) is an international educational initiative aimed at strengthening knowledge and skills in paediatric palliative care. As part of a new five-year European project, the curriculum will be adapted to the European context and translated into several languages, including Czech, Italian and German.
The participants Marco Bolognani (Italy), Gražina Kokešová Kleinová (Czech Republic) and Maria Flury (Switzerland) share their first impressions.
Q: What do you consider to be the key qualities of the EPEC paediatric palliative care education and dissemination programme?
Marco (Italy)
Key qualities in my opinion are the teaching method and the possibility of interprofessional and interdisciplinary comparison with colleagues from all over the world.
Gražina (Czech Republic)
I see the lecturers as the key to teaching EPEC - Paediatrics. The lecturers are not only very experienced professionals in PPC, but they are also trained in how to deliver knowledge and skills to participants. PPC is based on multidisciplinary approach and team collaboration. Participants can experience these qualities through the way lecturers cooperate with each other.
Maria (Switzerland)
That it is a low-threshold program that can be used to quickly reach many people in the paediatric healthcare sector
Q: EPEC Paediatrics is an interdisciplinary curriculum. How do you see EPEC Paediatrics Europe supporting education and training in your profession (psychology, nursing, medicine, etc.)?
Marco (Italy)
EPEC offers the opportunity to compare experiences with colleagues from other contexts/countries and to interact with professionals from other disciplines. This leads to an enrichment in terms of skills and knowledge.
Gražina (Czech Republic)
I am a clinical child psychologist, so I really appreciate that integrative methods are an inseparable and important part of PPC as presented by EPEC. The psychological aspects of PPC are seen as equal to the medical aspects. I believe that this approach taught by EPEC can bring significant benefits to patients and their families cared for in this way.
Maria (Switzerland)
It is important that nursing staff on the wards have a solid foundation in paediatric palliative care, as they are the ones who care for these patients on a daily basis.
Q: Could you share some insights from the inaugural meeting – what were the highlights?
Gražina (Czech Republic)
The Prague meeting was a milestone for the EPEC-Paediatrics Europe project. It was amazing to watch how the initial ideas transformed into a clear, shared vision through our discussions, and how much we can achieve when we unite experts from different healthcare systems toward one goal.
It was inspiring to watch the synergy between the teams, especially with the presence of our colleague from EPEC Latin America. She shared invaluable know-how and lessons learned from their regional implementation, providing a unique roadmap for our three national task forces. Even though our cultural contexts differ, her insights offered a great deal of inspiration and practical knowledge that we can definitely learn from as we adapt the project for Europe.
Maria (Switzerland)
So many dedicated individuals who are committed to ensuring that paediatric palliative care can become more widespread.
Marco (Italy)
The inaugural meeting allowed us to better clarify some aspects of the project and, above all, provided the opportunity to meet many colleagues involved in the project itself. It also provided the opportunity to build relationships within small working groups.
Q: What are the next steps of the project, and what milestones are you aiming for in the coming months and years?
Maria (Switzerland)
To put together a group that will enable the program to be used throughout the German-speaking world in five years’ time.
Marco (Italy)
The next steps involve three key elements:
- Updating and developing the training modules and adapting them to the European context;
- Building faculties within the participating European countries;
- Translating and culturally adapting them into Czech, Italian, and German.
Gražina (Czech Republic)
The team of trained Czech lecturers has already started to work on the translation of all EPEC educational materials and prepare Czech end-user conferences in April and June this year in a shortened format. I hope we will be able to offer the same high quality as the international team of lecturers and that Czech participants will appreciate the EPEC – Paediatrics curriculum as a unique and valuable form of education.
The Italian and German task forces will begin working on the translations at the end of this year and the beginning of next.
Q: Looking ahead, what impact do you hope this initiative will have on education and clinical practice in your home country and/or across Europe?
Gražina (Czech Republic)
I see EPEC Paediatrics Czech as a great opportunity for professionals who are already working in, or would like to start working in, the field of paediatric palliative care to gain high-quality education in this area. The educational system of the EPEC Paediatrics Programme is unique because it emphasizes the acquisition of practical skills and is based on the principles of adult learning. I am grateful that a Czech version will be available for Czech professionals.
Looking ahead, our primary goal is to tailor the curriculum to the European context and introduce new modules that are specifically relevant to our region. By adapting the existing materials, we ensure they reflect the unique legal, ethical, and cultural diversity of European healthcare systems.
We hope this initiative will establish a unified standard of excellence in paediatric palliative care education across Europe. By incorporating new themes, such as psychosocial support, we aim to transform clinical practice into a more holistic and integrated experience for patients and their families, regardless of which country they are in.
Marco (Italy)
I expect this initiative to lead to a more widespread and targeted dissemination of paediatric palliative care in my country; the teaching method and content lend themselves to training events that can be adapted to the different territorial and organizational situations present in my country and in Europe.
Maria (Switzerland)
That all persons working in paediatric healthcare have a basic knowledge of paediatric palliative care.
You can find more information on EPEC Pediatrics.