First Ever Global Atlas Identifies Unmet Need for Palliative Care

Only 1 in 10 people who need palliative care - that is medical care to relieve the pain, symptoms and stress of serious illness - is currently receiving it. This unmet need has just been mapped for the first time in the Global Atlas of Palliative Care at the End of Life, published jointly by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance (WPCA).



What Is Palliative Care?

Palliative care is more than just pain relief. 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.



Who Needs Palliative Care?

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.



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.



In 2011, approximately 3 million patients received palliative care, the vast majority at the end of their life. Although most palliative care is provided in high-income countries, almost 80% of the global need for palliative care is in low- and middle-income countries. Only 20 countries worldwide have palliative care well integrated into their healthcare systems.



What Must Be Done?

The Atlas calls on all countries to include palliative care as an essential component to every modern healthcare system in their moves towards universal health coverage.This means addressing barriers such as:

1.  lack of policies recognizing palliative care and the need for care both at the end of life and during progressive illnesses;


2. lack of resources to implement services, including access to essential medicines, especially pain relievers;


3. lack of knowledge of health care professionals, community volunteers and members of the public about the benefits of palliative care.