BMJ  2004;329:248 (31 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7460.248-a

News

WHO wants more palliative care for Europeans

Fiona Fleck

Geneva

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Many Europeans who are terminally ill die in unnecessary pain and discomfort because their health systems lack skilled staff and do not widely offer palliative care services, according to two studies published by the World Health Organization this month.

In the two reports WHO found that although Europe's population is ageing and more people are dying of chronic diseases, the range and quality of palliative care services remain severely limited and inadequate.

WHO called on health policy makers to urgently address the needs of ageing populations and to make palliative care a core part of their healthcare services.

Early identification of pain and other health problems can make a "dramatic difference," WHO said.

"Palliative care is by and large a neglected topic in most countries. What is required is both a social and a political impetus," said Dr Agis Tsouros, head of the Centre for Urban Health at WHO's European . . . [Full text of this article]

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