Charity seeks better palliative care for developing world

A Scottish-based Christian charity is calling on people to play their part in bringing about better palliative and end of life care in developing countries by marking World Hospice and Palliative Care Day on October 11.

Cairdeas Trust is asking people to sign a declaration drawn up by the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care and the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance demanding that palliative care and pain treatment be recognised as human rights.

The trust is also calling for all countries to make palliative care a part of their national healthcare programmes and for low cost treatments for pain and symptom control to be made available in resource-limited countries.

Dr Mhoira Leng, founder and medical director at Cairdeas, said that many people suffering from serious illnesses in developing countries often struggle to cope with their pain in loneliness and isolation without family to help and only limited access to clinics.

"For many across the developing world there would be no way out of this nightmare. It is in the areas of greatest need such as Sub-Saharan Africa that hospice and palliative care services are least in evidence. This must change," she said.

Palliative care is particularly lacking in rural areas and within marginalised groups, including prisoners, the homeless and people with special needs, Dr Leng noted.

She called on the UK media to give World Hospice and Palliative Care Day "the attention it richly deserves".

"Without access to the care they need, people affected by life-limiting illnesses suffer unacceptable levels of distress that often amount to a violation of their human rights."