Every year, December 12 marks Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day, a global observance emphasizing universal access to health services. The day serves as a reminder of the need for every person, regardless of where they live or their socioeconomic status, to have access to the care they need without suffering financial hardship. While much focus is placed on curative treatments and preventive care, palliative care is an essential aspect of healthcare that often goes underappreciated.
Palliative care is designed to improve the quality of life for patients living with serious, life-limiting illnesses. It focuses on pain relief, symptom management, and providing emotional and psychological support for patients and their families. Despite its crucial role in comprehensive health systems, palliative care remains underfunded, underdeveloped, and unavailable to many—particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). On UHC Day, it is time for us to recognize the critical role of palliative care in achieving true universal health coverage.
Understanding Universal Health Coverage
UHC is about more than just providing healthcare; it’s about ensuring health systems are equitable, comprehensive, and inclusive. Under UHC, the aim is for every individual to receive the healthcare they need without facing financial ruin. This includes services that prevent illness, provide treatment, rehabilitate patients, and care for those who are suffering from chronic and terminal conditions. However, palliative care is often an afterthought in health systems, particularly in developing countries, where curative care often takes precedence. Yet, for many people living with serious illness, palliative care is just as important as treatment for the illness itself.
The Role of Palliative Care in UHC
Palliative care is a key component of any truly comprehensive healthcare system. It provides holistic care, addressing not only the physical symptoms of a disease but also the emotional, social, and spiritual needs of patients and families. Palliative care is about giving patients the dignity and respect they deserve during their most vulnerable times.
Access to palliative care aligns with UHC’s goals of equity, accessibility, and affordability. Just as preventive and curative services are essential for a healthy population, so too is the ability to manage pain, reduce suffering, and support families. This is particularly important for those with chronic, life-limiting diseases like cancer, HIV/AIDS, heart failure, and neurological disorders.
The Current Gap in Palliative Care Access
Globally, there is a significant gap in access to palliative care. While high-income countries generally offer better access to palliative services, patients in LMICs are often left without these essential services. It is estimated that nearly 60 million people worldwide need palliative care each year, yet 12% receive the services they require.
This disparity is due to several factors, including inadequate training for healthcare professionals, lack of necessary medications, especially opioids, and the absence of national palliative care policies. In many regions, the provision of palliative care is relegated to the private sector, making it unaffordable for the most vulnerable.
Integrating Palliative Care into UHC Systems
For UHC to be truly universal, palliative care must be a part of the conversation. This means integrating palliative care services into national health plans, training healthcare workers, and ensuring that essential medications are available and accessible. The WHO and other global organizations have already set frameworks for integrating palliative care into UHC systems, yet much work remains to be done.
Governments must prioritize the inclusion of palliative care in their UHC strategies. This could include expanding services to rural and underserved areas, ensuring availability of opioid medications for pain management, and investing in palliative care education for healthcare workers. The inclusion of palliative care in UHC frameworks also means addressing financial barriers to care, so that individuals do not have to choose between receiving care and facing financial ruin.
A Human Rights Issue
Access to palliative care is not just a health issue—it is a human rights issue. Every person deserves to live with dignity, and for those facing serious illnesses, palliative care provides a way to alleviate suffering and enhance quality of life. UHC should be viewed not just as a goal for health systems but as a framework for upholding human rights and ensuring that no one is left behind.
The Way Forward: Collective Action for Change
On UHC Day, we are reminded that achieving universal health coverage requires collective action. Palliative care must be a part of this collective effort. By prioritizing palliative care within the UHC agenda, we can ensure that health systems are truly comprehensive, equitable, and just. It is time for governments, healthcare providers, and international organizations to join forces and work towards a world where every person, regardless of where they live or their condition, has access to the palliative care they need.
As we celebrate UHC Day, we must remember that healthcare is not only about curing diseases but also about caring for individuals at all stages of life. Integrating palliative care into universal health coverage is essential for building health systems that are truly inclusive. No one should suffer from a lack of care when facing serious illness. Let’s use UHC Day as a moment to commit to ensuring that palliative care is available for all, everywhere, as a vital part of achieving universal health coverage.
Help Us Close the Access Abyss to Palliative Care
Forty million people and their families living in a low or middle-income country are not able to access palliative care each year, causing unnecessary suffering for the most seriously ill. Lack of access to palliative care and pain relief is a global public health crisis. Every year over 60 million people experience serious health related suffering, They, their families and carers need palliative care, yet only about 7 million are able to access the care they need. The majority of these are adults over 60 but 7% are children. 78% of the need for palliative care is in low-and middle-income countries, while 80% of current services are delivered in high income countries. Your donations today will be matched by Global Giving. Find out how you can support us here https://ow.ly/GSzA50UoRq2
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