As we witness increasing conflict situations, famine, and natural disasters in many parts of the world, the International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) remains deeply concerned for all vulnerable people, but especially for babies, children, and young people with a life-limiting illness in these situations. At this time we call for peace around the world and an end to all armed conflict.
We are also concerned that children will be suffering from untreated pain and symptoms and lacking other essential elements of children’s palliative care: psychological, social, and spiritual support. Serious health related suffering will be the consequence of worsening conditions and we call on the WHO and other aid agencies providing humanitarian assistance in these situations to work to ensure that there is access to palliative care including essential medicines, such as pain relief.
Access to pain relief and palliative care is a human right. During and after emergency situations, such as armed conflict, we know that there will be an increased need for pain relief and palliative care along with the need for treatment of mental health conditions. The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) encourages competent authorities in both exporting and recipient countries to exercise the highest degree of flexibility and discretion in their application of control measures on the international trade of controlled substances during emergency situations.
ICPCN therefore continues to call on the WHO and aid agencies providing humanitarian assistance in conflict situations to:
- Ensure access to palliative care provision for all in need.
- Include adequate supplies of oral and injectable morphine, and essential palliative care medicines listed in the WHO Model Lists of Essential Medicines in their humanitarian aid response packages.
- Ensure an adequate supply of essential medicines for surgery and anaesthesia.
- Include paediatric formulations of essential medicines for children.
- Provide all aid and health care workers with guidelines on the provision of palliative care along with the safe use and distribution of these essential medicines.
- Work with receiving authorities to ensure that controlled medicines are not removed from the emergency kits.
ICPCN’s vision is that all children living with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition and their families, will have seamless access to palliative care in order to alleviate serious health-related suffering and enhance their quality of life. We know that there are at least 21.1 million children globally who need access to palliative care, and that this number will increase in humanitarian crises. We remain committed to sharing skills and promoting access to palliative care in all settings, including in situations of armed conflict. We also reaffirm our commitment to working towards this goal in partnership with the WHO, other bilateral and humanitarian organisations and colleagues around the world including IAHPC, WHPCA, GPNN and PallCHASE.
Leave a Reply