Dr Paudel is the recipient of Cancer Aid Society’s South East Asia Palliative Care award (2012). His work with the Pain and Policy Studies Group in Madison, Wisconsin, has changed the face of pain management in the country.
Initial successes reported in the article include:
- three forms of oral morphine (syrup, immediate-release tablets and sustained-release tablets) are now manufactured in the country;
- healthcare practitioners are receiving training in the use of opioids for pain relief; and
- a new national palliative care association has developed a palliative care training curriculum.
Dr Paudel and colleagues conclude that, although these achievements are a sign of positive change, “long-term implementation efforts, funding and technical assistance by governments, philanthropic organizations, and international partners are necessary to ensure that pain relief and palliative care become accessible by all in need in Nepal and other Low- and Middle Income Countries.
Read the article, ‘Opioid Availability and Palliative Care in Nepal: Influence of an International Pain Policy Fellowship‘ published in Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.
Leave a Reply