Palliative care: Time for action

Abstract

Palliative care improves the life quality of client and also for their families who are suffering with challenges associated with life-threatening illness, whether physical, psychological, social or spiritual. The quality of caregiver’s life also improves. According to WHO each year, an estimated 40 million people are in need of palliative care; 78% of them people live in low- and middle-income countries. Worldwide, only about 14% of people who need palliative care currently receive it. Unnecessarily restrictive regulations for morphine and other essential controlled palliative medicines deny access to adequate palliative care.