The Global Atlas of Palliative Care at the End of Life, published
by the World Health Organisation and the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance
(WPCA), found that only 20 countries have palliative care firmly integrated
into their healthcare systems. According to the report, most palliative care is
provided in high-income countries, but almost 80% of the global need for
services is in low- and middle-income countries.
It is estimated that every year more than 20 million patients need
palliative care at the end of life. Some 6% of these are children. The number
of people requiring this care rises to at least 40 million if all those that
could benefit from palliative care at an earlier stage of their illness are
included. Hospice and palliative care often encompasses some support to family
members, which would more than double care needs.
About one third of those needing palliative care suffer from
cancer. Others have progressive illnesses affecting their heart, lung, liver,
kidney, brain or chronic, life-threatening diseases including HIV and
drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Many believe that palliative care is about just pain relief. But
it is more than that. It includes addressing the physical, psychosocial and
emotional suffering of patients with serious advanced illnesses and supporting
family members providing care to a loved one.
This unmet need of palliative care is mapped for the first time in
the "Global atlas of palliative care at the end of life", published
jointly by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Worldwide Palliative
Care Alliance (WPCA). In the Atlas, expert recommended that while we strengthen
efforts to reduce the burden of the biggest killers in the world today, we must
also alleviate the suffering of those with progressive illness who do not
respond to curative treatment.
The Atlas calls on all countries to include palliative care as an
essential component to every modern health-care system in their moves towards
universal health coverage. However, currently only 20 countries worldwide have
palliative care well integrated into their healthcare systems.
Experts identified the following barriers that need to be address
immediately to meet the crucial need of palliative care:
- Lack of policies recognising palliative care and the need for care both at the end of life and during progressive illnesses;
- Lack of resources to implement services, including access to essential medicines, especially pain relievers;
- Lack of knowledge of healthcare professionals, community volunteers and members of the public about the benefits of palliative care.
At least 35 million of these people will die of chronic life
limiting illnesses and if we include family and carers who need help and
assistance in caring, at least 100 million people worldwide would benefit from
hospice and palliative care. The need is clear. Now, we need to act to meet the
need.
It is expected that the 67th World Health Assembly, the
decision-making body of WHO, will discuss the subject at its annual session in
Geneva in May.
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