CANCER charity PALS president Ann Smith Gordon addressed 2,000 delegates from 30 countries when she made the opening remarks at the World Congress on Home Care and Hospice in Orlando, Florida.

Ms Smith Gordon is the the chairman of World Home Care & Hospice Organisation (WHHO), which was set up ten years ago to promote global networking among home care and hospice organisations and public awareness of their issues.

The Orlando event, held at the Gaylord Palms Resort last month, attracted representatives from 50 organisations and was the third such world conference, the first having been held in Boston six years ago and the second in Vienna in 2000.

The conference was staged in conjunction with the US National Association for Home Care.

During her opening remarks, Ms Smith Gordon said: "As members of WHHO, we have all subscribed to a common goal, which is to ensure that human beings around the world enjoy the right to health care and supportive services at home rather than being confined to institutions."

She went on to give a presentation on PALS and conducted the WHHO board meeting.

The congress attracted thousands of people who came to take part in the 170 educational programmes and workshops it staged between October 11 and 15.

"The Bermuda flag was prominent among those of some 30 countries," Ms Smith Gordon said.

"I was particularly interested in the speakers from Eastern Europe and Liechtenstein. Those countries, Romania, Latvia, and Ukraine are struggling with so much poverty, hunger and cold."