Palliative care
Palliative care aims to maximise the quality of life and relive the suffering of people with chronic diseases by providing care and support to patients and their families. Interventions address the clinical needs of patients such as pain and symptoms as well as their psychosocial, social and spiritual needs. Whilst palliative care was developed in response to the needs of patients with advanced cancer, it also has a central role in the management and support of those affected by other conditions including neurological disease, cardiac failure, dementia and HIV/AIDS.
The growth of palliative care in resource-poor countries has enabled many people with progressive illnesses to access pain, symptom control and supportive care. However, there remain large variations in how these services are delivered and financed, and in many areas provision of care is inadequate.
National programmes for palliative care can offer the most effective means of improving the quality of life for the greatest number of patients and their families. Palliative care, however, remains low on the list of under resourced governments’ health care priorities. In these situations advocacy plays an important role in raising its profile and promoting its value.
The growth of palliative care in resource-poor countries has enabled many people with progressive illnesses to access pain, symptom control and supportive care. However, there remain large variations in how these services are delivered and financed, and in many areas provision of care is inadequate.
National programmes for palliative care can offer the most effective means of improving the quality of life for the greatest number of patients and their families. Palliative care, however, remains low on the list of under resourced governments’ health care priorities. In these situations advocacy plays an important role in raising its profile and promoting its value.
Latest Additions
- A guide to high-quality palliative care and legal services
- ( Duncan Breen;Kathleen Brodrick;Sue Cameron / Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa , 2009)
- There is increasing recognition of the link between palliative care and human rights. This guide, published by the Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa, offers guidance on policy and wa...
- An overview of palliative care models in sub-Saharan Africa
- ( R. Harding;I. J. Higginson / The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund , 2004)
- This report offers an overview of existing palliative care models in sub-Saharan Africa. It analyses evidence from electronic biomedical databases and prepared reports. The paper finds that where avai...
- A call for action to bring comprehensive cancer care to African countries
- ( Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy , 2007)
- The purpose of this London Declaration is to raise awareness of the magnitude of the cancer burden in Africa and to call for immediate action to bring comprehensive care to African countries. The esta...
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