Global atlas of palliative care at the end of life

Published jointly by the World Health Organization and the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance, the Atlas maps the need for and availability of palliative care globally. 

Using maps, graphs and case studies, and drawing on a wealth of resources, the Atlas addresses the following questions:

• What is palliative care?
• Why is palliative care a human rights issue?
• What are the main diseases requiring palliative care?
• What is the need for palliative care?
• What are the barriers to palliative care?
• Where is palliative care currently available?
• What are the models of palliative care worldwide?
• What resources are devoted to palliative care?
• What is the way forward?

Key messages from the Atlas include:

• less than 10% of the global need for palliative care is currently being met
• most palliative care is provided in high-income countries, however almost 80% of the global need for palliative care is in low and middle-income countries
• the barriers that limit access to palliative care include: a lack of access to essential medicines; a lack of education and knowledge about palliative care; a lack of government policies that include palliative care in the healthcare system; and a lack of resources to establish palliative care, particularly in the patient’s home
• All countries should include palliative care as an essential component in their healthcare system
• All medical professional schools should include basic training on palliative care and continuing professional education should include palliative care for existing health professionals.