Palliative Care: How can we respond to10 years of limited progress?
In 2014, the first ever global resolution on palliative care, WHA 67.19, called upon World Health Organization (WHO) and Member States to ensure access to palliative care as a core component of health systems, with an emphasis on primary health care. Ten years on from the Resolution, only about 12% of global palliative care needs are being met. Each year, it is estimated that over 56.8 million people need of palliative care, of whom 78% live in low- and middle-income countries. By 2060, the need for palliative care at the end of life is expected to nearly double due to the rising burden of non-communicable diseases and ageing populations. This report will bring together cutting-edge evidence on palliative care needs, accessibility, and cost, to analyze the success of countries that have significantly expanded access to palliative care through integration into health systems. This report will also use evidence to shape concrete and innovative priority actions for countries at each level of palliative care development, in efforts to rapidly expand coverage of quality palliative care.