Palliative care : 14 % of the world population enjoys

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Published the 29.08.2017 at 18h32

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Keywords :

care palliatifsOMSfin of life

They are recognised as a human right to health, and must be delivered in accordance with the principles of universal health coverage. Palliative care is not accessible to all. Only 14 % of the world’s population has access to it, according to the world health Organization (WHO).

Lack of commitment and investment (political and financial), lack of training of health professionals, difficulties of access to opioids, but also lack of awareness of the general public and cultural barriers are all obstacles to the democratisation of end of life care.

According to a study published in 2013 in the Journal of pain and symptom management, covering 234 countries, only 20 have correctly integrated the concept of palliative care. Nearly half (42 %) have no such program.

Unequal access to opioids

The assessment of pain, its treatment, the care of the physical suffering, but also mental or spiritual, either for the patients, adults or children, as for their entourage, are part of the palliative management, reminiscent of the WHO.

But the physical pain remains the central point. “For example, 80% of patients with aids or cancer and 67% of those who have cardiovascular disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will experience moderate to severe pain in end-of-life “, stresses the un organization.

And their treatment is going by the intake of opioids. If, in some countries, their use in mass begins to pose real public health problems, their accessibility is limited in others. The levels of alcohol consumption in 121 countries are “insufficient” to ” very insufficient “. These countries represent 83 % of the world population.